Semester at Sea was the best decision I made in my college career. Past Review
By Jade M (Elementary Education and Teaching, University of Maine - Orono) - abroad from 08/23/2014 to 12/08/2014 with
Semester at Sea Study Abroad: Make the World Your Campus
My experience was absolutely worth while. I learned a lot about education systems around the world that I keep in mind while training to become a teacher in the US. I also learned many insights about lots of different countries and was able to learn how different places interact. I also learned a ton from listening to my peers speak and preform; Semester at Sea attracts some insightful and talented people.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academics were harder than I expected, but still nothing compared to what it is like at my home school. The challenge really was trying to find time between travel and wanting to spend time with friends and do other activities on the ship. |
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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? |
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| * Food: |
Tends to be the same food over and over again for every meal. Also hard to keep fresh food for two weeks straight while you are crossing the Atlantic ocean. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We were only in places for a few days at a time, so there wasn't much integration. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Having a doctor's office on board was super helpful for most students; plus they gave out free sea sickness medication! |
| * Safety: |
Some countries were really safe, others were not. It partly depended on how cautious and aware you were as a traveler. However, Semester at Sea made sure to provide us with enough safety info before each port. |
| 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) |
This is assuming that you didn't buy a lot of souvenirs...As for food and living, most everything was taken care of on the ship as part of tuition. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Including travel and souvenirs? Probably $400. Depended on the location. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy less souvenirs; you run out of space in your room anyways and they are a pain to transport back home. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | 0 |
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? | How hard it would be to leave. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
