How to Go Around the World in 4 months Past Review

By (COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS., Trinity University) - abroad from 01/09/2014 to 05/04/2014 with

Semester at Sea Study Abroad: Make the World Your Campus

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
That America is in its own little world. The trip was absolutely worthwhile

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Not very applicable, we went to 11 different countries.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Cabins were a bit small on the ship, but wasn't expecting anything grand. The ship was nice enough.

* Food:

Not a lot of variation of the food. Sometimes ran out of stuff.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

SAS did a very good job of integrating us within the countries' various cultures.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The health staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. However, the health clinic was only open a couple of hours a day.

* Safety:

SAS put a huge emphasis on student safety. They did a great job of making sure everyone had emergency contacts/plans.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

SAS is expensive, no other way around it.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? When in port, too much. When at sea, maybe $75-100 per week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Avoid taxis

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The different countries we visited
  • The friends I made
  • The unique experience of it all
* What could be improved?
  • The food/availability of it
  • Accountability of the admin. staff
  • The Internet service/availability on the ship
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You're going to spend more money than you think

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'