Discover the World Past Review

By Elizabeth M (Communication Arts, St. John's University) for

St. John's University: Traveling - Discover the World, Europe

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Discover the World has changed my life dramatically. By exposing me to three different countries, I came to learn the universal similarities and differences amongst cultures and among individuals. It has taught me to critique my own nation, while showing me how fortunate I am to live in the society I am in now. Being my first time away from home for an extended period of time, it also taught me how to live independently, do things for myself, and put myself out there to meet new people.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here:	Universidad de Salamanca
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 teachers are very accomodating to their students; they undertand that it is a different environment than American students are accustomed to, and tailor their lessons around this fact. Students still have to apply themselves and work hard, but classes are taught based around cultural immersion and understanding of the country the students are living in.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The administration on each of the campuses were very accomodating. They were available to help students understand the culture of the country, take them on tours, and assist them with any personal issues they might be having.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	The meal tickets in Rome were a great way to get to taste the food of Italy, while the cafeteria food in the Paris campus was very tastey but tailored to students wanting to experience French style cuisine.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Discover the World is a great way to meet other students and travellers. You travel with a rotation of about thirty students, and then meet other students on each campus, in the neighborhoods, and hostels when you travel. I met friends abroad that I will know for life!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Safety and health issues were handled very well. I was sick in both Spain and France and through the international health insurance provided with the program, I was able to see doctors and get prescription medication in each country.
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
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?	Although there were many English speakers in the three countries we studied in, language professors encouraged us and actually assigned us projects that made us use our new foreign language skills out in the real world. For example, on our last day of my French I class, my professor took the five students in the class to get Bertillon ice cream. We had to order in French, and when we all had our cones, we sat along the Seine, practiced speaking French, and discussed the similarities and differences of American and French cultures. Between the small class size and the personalized attention, this was just one experience that made Discover the World an incredible time in my life.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	International Students Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Three countries in one semester! Exposure to different cultures! Meeting people, forming life-long relationships.
* What could be improved?	A better dollar to euro conversion rate... Scheduling neighborhood tours on the Paris campus around all the classes, not just morning schedules.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	For the student who has never been abroad, has spent little time abroad, or is interested in travelling all around Europe, Discover the World is for you. There are few opportunities available for individuals to study in three different countries during one semester; St. John's Discover the World program definitely teaches students how to pack lightly, plan well, and explore the world on a budget.