Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Canada: expensive but worth every penny! Past Review

By (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Stephen F. Austin State University) for

Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA): Traveling - Explore Canada

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I definitely want to go back sometime. Montreal seemed to have everything: culture, food, and entertainement.

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

n/a

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

my expectations were met

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

n/a

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Climbing Mont Royal was the most memorable excursion. It was a fun little hike and the view from the top was amazing. Meeting the author Louise Dupres was extremely interesting also.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

it is COLD in Canada. Dress warmly.

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? Take more money than you think you need! Canada is more expensive than the US.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Food

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
Language acquisition improvement?

It's best to just throw yourself out there and not be afraid to make mistakes.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • I enjoyed the European feel of Montreal.
* What could be improved?
  • We were not told that we would need more than one "nice" outfit. Once there, it seemed as though we were required to "dress up" every other night. Perhaps a suggested dress code for each day could be handed out prior to departure
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It is important to remember that you have paid for this trip. Therefore, you should get your money's worth by trying different foods and meeting different people, and if you have the language skills, try to communicate using them.