Around the World in 105 Days Past Review
By A student (Trinity University) - abroad from 01/18/2012 to 05/02/2012 with
Semester at Sea Study Abroad: Make the World Your Campus
Absolutely. I wish I could go back and do it all over again. I learned that the world is a much bigger and smaller place all at the same time. This program made me realize that my life dream of traveling the world is possible and we are all more inter-connected than we think. It also made me realize that while I may spend a week in a city in a country and gain a more worldly perspective, there is still so much more to see. Moreover, it's given me a different mindset. Where I used to see places on a map, I now see people's faces and memories. Choose SAS and you won't be disappointed.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Virginia |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were on par or a little less difficult than my home university. The ship's registrar discourages you from taking anything more than 12 hours, but it's definitely doable as you have a lot of down-time in between ports. The real crunch with 15 hours comes around midterms and especially finals week. Just plan ahead and you should be fine. Wikipedia will be your best friend since internet is incredibly limited. This makes research papers difficult, but professors understand and usually try to provide you with as much information as they can. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived on the 3rd deck where most students live. The rooms are small, but well-organized and a cleaning service comes every other day. Be sure to plan on bringing $100 in tip for your cabin steward. |
| * Food: |
The food isn't bad, it just becomes monotonous (think pasta and potatoes). There are two dining halls buffet style. Breakfast is early (7-8:30 a.m.) and lunch and dinner are pretty much the same. There's also snack time at 10 p.m. which is a live saver. There's 24 hour food access/snack items at the Piano Bar and the 7th deck/pool deck has things like hamburgers and pizza. Just try to practice self-control because once you start eating at the piano bar and 7th deck it will be hard to stop. Also, buy snacks in port! Finally, consider special dining (which costs around $30 a person) for birthdays and other special occasions. It's pretty good and a nice break from the usual food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
SAS was a nice introduction into a culture and while there's always more to learn, I did feel that I really made a connection with people and was able to understand cultural problems in the short time that I was there. SAS is also excellent for helping to make cross-cultural connections between different countries. You really do get a global perspective. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The ship's medical crew is fantastic! I ended up getting an infection that needed immediate care and lasted for a long period of time and the medical team was very professional, helpful and skilled. They helped me to seek off-ship care in Japan and worked closely with MedEx (the health care provider given to all students) to make sure that I only had to pay $100 for all of my expenses instead of the full amount. |
| * Safety: |
SAS does a good job of preparing students for each port by giving safety briefings and up to date information on problem areas. Trips done through SAS are also very safe and well-researched. The ship has excellent security. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
I would say a 2.5 The program itself is expensive, but they try and give as much financial aid as possible. Be proactive in applying for scholarships early on. If you have a problem/think you can't afford it, talk to the University of Virginia and they will help you as best they can. As far as spending money goes, I spent approximately $1,000 total on field trips in the countries (you are required to take two field trips with your professors so plan on needing money for that) which usually included meals and transportation. You will receive a catalog with those trips before you leave. I had $3,000 for spending money that covered everything else like souvenirs, meals, independent travel, etc. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | It depended on whether we were in a country or on the ship. In port, it also depended on the country as exchange rates were different everywhere. Excluding China and Japan, I spent around $200 in each port over the span of 4 or 5 days. In China and Japan I spent more because I flew/took a train to other parts of the country and that was more expensive. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Trips sponsored by Semester at Sea are more expensive than tour companies like Global Citizens. Look into their trips before you decide on an SAS trip as it could save you hundreds of dollars, but know that those companies may not be as reliable/there might be longer travel times. It's the compromise you make. ALWAYS choose the Explorer option over the Deluxe option. It can save you money and the accommodations are still good, you just might not be as pampered as those staying in the Deluxe option. Also, try and wait to buy a lot of your trips until you're on the ship and get the lay of the land/understand what's required of you for your classes. People often sell their trips for really cheap once on the ship because they change their mind or have other plans. You can even get things the morning of for almost free! Budget yourself and keep track of what you're spending money on. Also, make sure you have some emergency funds put away in case something bad happens. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Since we were going around the world on a ship, we were constantly being exposed to new languages, but the program did well to prepare us for each country with cultural pre-port meetings where we could pick up a few words. There were also language classes offered on board the ship and clubs that you could join (like the Chinese Culture Club and Sign Language Club) that held workshops while we were at sea. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | For a long time, SAS has had the reputation of being a booze cruise, but this is completely false and students don't imbibe anymore than they would on any other study abroad program. If that's your thing, you can find people wanting to experience countries from a bar stool, but the majority of kids seek a variety of experiences rich in service, outdoor exploration and cultural immersion. Likewise, students on this program are diverse, hailing from universities all over the U.S. and there also quite a few international students. I don't think there's any other program that creates this kind of community among faculty, staff and students. You are living side by side with your professors and you really get to know people for who they are. There's also an expansive alumni base, making SAS a great networking tool for the future. This program will bring you to tears and will change your life. I guarantee it. |
