Explore Canada Opened My Eyes Past Review
By Samantha W (Theatre, Stephen F. Austin State University) for
Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA): Traveling - Explore Canada
I have now decided that I want to Master in French and that is a very different direction than I originally planned to take after graduating. Going on this trip helped me realize my love for the language and made me want to pursue it more than ever before.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload wasn't tough and it made me reflect on everything I was learning from all of the museums and places we went to visit. I have to do a project afterwards but it will not be a huge strain it just takes time. The professors were on top of everything and worked hard to make sure we were learning and experiencing the culture without going overboard. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
In Montreal, the hotel was not in the best part of town. It was pretty unnerving to stay there, but it wasn't bad itself. Only the surrounding environment made me wish we were someplace else. In Ottawa, the hotel was amazing! Amazing service, amazing rooms, and it really felt safe. |
| * Food: |
Canada caters to vegetarians. I am a vegetarian and I could find amazing food everywhere! The specialty shops are the best such as the little boutique bakeries and sandwich shops. However, don't expect to get free refills and everything costs more there! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved the play we saw in French. I loved eating different kinds of food from Lebanese to Greek to all vegetarian. It was a lot of fun just to walk around and explore the city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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? | I think I spent close to $300. I spent roughly $280 or so on food and souvenirs and extra things like contact solution or a few clothes. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I didn't know what to expect in terms of weather so I brought one pair of dress pants when I could have actually brought a dress and worn tights and still not been freezing cold. I only brought one huge jacket and if I would have known the weather was going to fluctuate as much as it did I would have brought a lighter jacket. I also didn't bring appropriate footwear. Walking around in flats on icy cold Canadian streets is no fun. A good pair of boots that is close toed would have been perfect. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 432 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
It was awesome to be able to practice French 24/7 in Montreal and have the people be so enthusiastic about American students wanting to learn French. In Ottawa it was disappointing that the first language was English, however there were times when you could still hear people speaking it and everything was French and English around the city. |
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? | A political science/French study would benefit the most because that is what the focus was of everything we experienced in Canada. Also, a history student would benefit as well because we went to many museums on Canadian history. Definitely bring several different types of jackets and shoes. You need a jacket for really cold weather, semi-cold, and then freezing. A good pair of boots. Don't bring flats or high heels unless you want your toes to freeze or your feet to fall off. |
