Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Best 2 weeks of my life! Past Review

By (Elementary Education, St. Cloud State University) - abroad from 05/16/2012 to 05/28/2012 with

St. Cloud State University: Italy & Greece - PSY 330 – Cross Cultural Psychology

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
There is SO much that I learned and experienced while I was abroad. It is DEFINITELY worthwhile! It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I got to see amazing monuments, scenery, experience many new things and make life long friendships! One piece of advice I have to give is: DON'T THINK, JUST DO IT! Don't let money be the one reason why you don't go! I would do it over and over and over and over again, if I had the chance. It was definitely the best indescribable two weeks of my whole life so far!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The amount of work before we went abroad was not that bad. There were a couple quizzes, papers and a presentation. It was a little difficult to get it all done though as I had my Spring semester classes to focus on as well.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and wanted to make sure we experience everything we could while we were over there. I do wish we did have a little more free time so we could explore the cities on our own.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The hotels were very accommodating. I didn't spend much time in them except for sleeping. There were some that were nicer than others as well.

* Food:

The food was absolutely amazing! There were some things that I had know idea what they were, try them anyway! Some of the food that did not look appetizing, were actually really good!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We had presentations through our university class about Italian and Greek culture before we left that was helpful. I felt integrated and safe while I was over there. It is best to travel in groups of at least 2 or 3, with at least one of them being a guy. We tried to talk to the locals on our own or free time though.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any problems with the healthcare while abroad. There were no vaccines that I needed to get before we departed. Though you should be up to date with any shots or physicals.

* Safety:

I felt very safe while I was abroad. Our professors and tour guide put our safety as the most important thing and if somewhere wasn't safe, we didn't go there. They wanted us to see and experience everything, but wanted to make sure we were safe doing it.

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)

You are never going to be able to have enough money. You are going to want to do anything and everything while you are over there which includes shopping. If you plan out before hand, how much you want to spend each day, it is possible to do. But don't let the money situation be the reason why you don't go, it is a once in a lifetime experience!

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Only about half of our food was covered throughout the trip. So between food and shopping, I do not remember what exactly I spent every week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? You are going to spend more than you think you will. You get caught up in the moment and being there that you buy and do things you normally wouldn't do. It is good thing to know the Euro conversion as it will help you when you are shopping. Also, make sure if your bringing credit/debt cards that you make sure they work before you leave. I had a problem with my credit card while abroad, and the last thing you need is to worry about not having money while you're in a foreign country.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* 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?
  • I loved visiting all the historical places that I have learned about such as the Trevi Fountain and the Collisum. Everywhere you looked, the senery is absolutely stunning as well.
  • I loved being out of my normal life. There were many moments where in my head, I was like "Am I really here right now?". It was
  • I also loved that we were with 2 different schools from two different states. We got to to know people from our own college but from other colleges as well and formed very strong freindships with. About 5 students as well as myself, got really close while on the trip and I know we will all be life long friends.
* What could be improved?
  • I did wish we were able to go and explore more on our own. Our schedule was so busy that we didn't really have much time on our own to explore. I really wanted to go see some more things on my own that we didn't get time to do as a whole group.
  • I also wish more of the food was included in the trip. All the breakfast and about half the lunches were included. It started adding up quickly with all the lunches and half the dinners we were asked to cover.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Save more money and don't pack so much. I, of course packed way more than I needed. You are not going to get very much sleep on the planes or on the whole trip.