Semester At Sea: Short-Term... Brilliance. Past Review
By Grace M (Exploratory, Ithaca College) for
Semester at Sea Study Abroad: Make the World Your Campus
Yes. I met some amazing people, was given REAL responsibility, got to explore lots of cool places, and learn a whole heck of a lot. I've only begun to scratch the surface of my world experiences. Be open and people will be open to you (most of the time).
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. |
I took a class called, " Real Communities: Real Problems, Real Solutions." It was brilliant. I had two incredible professors and learned so much. While the class work wasn't necessarily hard, it took a lot of time, effort, and reflection. Depending on what kind of experience you want, you really need to consider how much time and effort you are willing to put into the academic piece of it all. |
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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 a ship cabin. |
| * Food: |
Lots of pasta and potatoes on ship. Delicious seafood, curries, rice and beans, etc. in port. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Stay over night somewhere in port. Either with your friends or on a FDP. Adds so much more to your experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
There is a doctor and nursing staff always available. We were told in pre-port which hospital to go to if something happened. Safety all depended on how safe you are, with some exceptions. We were pretty obviously tourists and easy targets if someone is looking. Personally I did not have a problem with it, but I know some did. Be smart, be safe, and act like you know where you're going. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Depended on the port and the exchange rates. Sometimes a couple hundred, sometimes under twenty. Depends on how you budget yourself. You can get away without spending money or you can go broke. Again be smart about it. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I was pretty well aware of my expenses. Try to buy sealed snacks in port because snacks on ship can be pricey. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None. |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
You can take a language, but it wasn't required. I still had enough Spanish under my belt to get around. However you didn't always need it. It all depended on what country you were in and what you had planned. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Make the most of your time. The short-term program is almost too short so live up every minute. |
