Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Awesome semester abroad June 06, 2024

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 02/05/2024 to 05/19/2024 with

SIT Study Abroad: Belgrade, Budapest, and Vienna - Comparative European Perspectives on Conflict and Democracy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I got to learn about the history, culture, and politics of a whole new region about which I knew nothing before. I also got experience living in another country for the first time and navigating a brand new city in my day to day life.

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

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Beginner

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* 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?
  • traveling on excursions - to Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava
  • plenty of free time to explore, we weren't just stuck in lectures all day
  • during orientation the staff gave us a lot of helpful info about what to expect living in Belgrade
* What could be improved?
  • more conversation about internship placements before being placed
  • assignments sometimes felt like busy work, I feel they could be improved and made more substantive
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Serbia is not well connected to other countries by rail, which impacts travel plans to surrounding countries