Business & Politics in the E.U.: An Experience Which Could Only Happen First Hand Past Review
By Alexandra P (International Business, Rhodes College) for
Study Abroad Programs across Europe
I have a much greater understanding now of what it takes to conduct Business with European countries and also have gained much knowledge on the workings of the E.U. Visiting several businesses and E.U. headquarters aided in this understanding, and I would not have had the chance to see such places if I had not been on this specific program.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was intense but manageable. What made it hard was wanting to experience the culture but finding a way to balance out studying and exploring. The teacher was great since he has first hand experience in UK politics and could give us an insider opinion on both UK and E.U. matters. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
When located in London during the beginning of the trip, the program provided great resources and people to talk to about the program, local happenings, and various other helpful orders of business. The program was not able to provide as much of these sorts of things during our stay in other countries though due to not being in a home location. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Most meals are at the students expense and were found on our own. Helpful restaurant suggestions were given in most cities though and any meals provided by the program were accommodating with vegetarian options and of good quality. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Trips included: The European Central Bank in Frankfurt, The Louvre in Paris, the British Parliament in London, The European Commission, The Bank of England, and many many more. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
While in London, a British police officer was brought in to talk to the group about safety in Europe. Safety advice: do not go off by yourself at night (especially women), watch your purses and bags on the tube, and know your limits if you are drinking alcoholic beverages. All safety problems are avoidable as long as one errs on the side of caution and remembers that you will be mostly located in big cities where crime rates tend to be higher. |
| 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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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The time on the program flies by! Although at first a month seems to be a long time, it turned out not to be. Be ready to go non-stop and take advantage of every opportunity. Get out of your bubble and meet locals and get a first-hand cultural experience (find out where they eat, see how they feel about political issues, etc.). |
