Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Turkey is absolutely amazing, GO THERE. Past Review

By (PSYCHOLOGY., St. Mary's College of Maryland) - abroad from 05/14/2013 to 05/29/2013 with

St. Mary's College of Maryland: Nitze Scholars Program, Turkey

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that the parts of the world we have limited exposure to are misrepresented by the media to a certain extent. The middle east is not 100% bombs and war zones. The people can be incredibly kind and friendly, I felt so welcome most of the time. It was absolutely worthwhile, and I can't wait to go back.

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.

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? about $100, or 200 Turkish Lira
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? order food from street vendors, get fruit from stands for snacks, save your leftovers from restaurants, etc.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
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?
  • how much time we got to spend with regular people, locals
  • how friendly everyone was
* What could be improved?
  • One of the hotels we stayed in was not great
  • We felt like we had significantly more free time in Ankara than in Istanbul, but didn't really know what to do with that free time.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known how fast it would go by.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.