Student Affairs at Sea allowed me to grow as a Global Citizen and a Student Affairs Professional Past Review
By Nikki H (M.Ed. Higher Education, University of Maine at Orono) for
Semester at Sea Study Abroad: Make the World Your Campus
Absolutely! I gained independence and motivation to travel. As well as confidence in my ability to navigate the world and to interact with people from a variety of different cultures.
Review Photos
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 was in a graduate program on the ship. In addition to taking two graduate level courses on the ship I was a graduate intern in the Office of Student Conduct. The workload was less than I am used to at UMaine, however, classes met every day at sea, and not at all when in port. The only responsibilities we had in port was to attend at least 3, one day long university visits with the other graduate students. I enjoyed them so much I chose to attend all six of them. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Semester at Sea is a very well established program and they thoroughly prepare students for their study abroad experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Each student is assigned a roommate and a double room unless you opt for a single. Your roommate will be another graduate student from the program. The living arrangements on the ship are very nice, graduate students are housed on the same deck as faculty and staff. Cabin stewards clean your room daily, and each room has a personal bathroom and shower. |
| * Food: |
The food is good, and I didn't get sick of it until the very end. A lot of pasta and potatoes but they do have vegetarian options and a 24hour snack bar to get things like pizza, french fries and burgers. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There was an incredible amount of opportunities for independent travel and experiences. I think you can get out of this program what you put in to it. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The countries we visited were very safe, Semester at Sea would not travel to unsafe regions. |
| 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? | I spent approximately $350 in each port. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I actually spent less money than I expected to and saved a lot of money but eating and sleeping on the ship whenever possible. The majority of expenses add up when you stay in hotels and eat out every night. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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