Semester at Sea - Two black eyes, Three bouts of Food Poisoning, Best Time of my Life. Past Review
By Megan W (Art History, Trinity University) for
Semester at Sea Study Abroad: Make the World Your Campus
Absolutely. I've seen incredible things, met lifelong friends, and gained a true sense of becoming a traveler instead of a tourist.
Personal Information
| 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. |
A very new learning experience with teachers from universities all over the US |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Since the administrative team and faculty are new with every voyage, there was confusion at every level with the administration and coursework requirements. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The boat cabins were small, but it added to the experience. |
| * Food: |
Prepare for lots of pasta and potatoes. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Varied country to country |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
On the ship, everyone would get sick - seasick or viral. |
| 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? | Spending was minimal on the ship, and outlandish in port. Save up. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | My debit card was stolen in Spain (the first port) so I had to be very creative in getting funds. Exchange some money for each country before you leave. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I took French, although it was not required by the program, and it was stressful in the short amount of class days but in Morocco I was able to see that my speaking ability had improved a lot. |
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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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Save up. |
