Heart expanding and mind blowing! BYU in Iasi Past Review
By A student (Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services., Brigham Young University) - abroad from 04/25/2012 to 07/19/2012 with
Study Abroad Programs in Romania
I became more confident in myself and my ability to serve and do hard things. It was the most worthwhile thing I have ever done.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Mario is the best! :) |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our particular apartment was old and had a few problems, but provided a very Romanian experience. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Working with locals and attending the local congregation helped us integrate with the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any personal experiences with the healthcare, thank goodness! There were certain vaccines recommended but not required, which I am glad I got. |
| * 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) |
The high ratio of lei to dollars (3.5 lei to 1 dollar) made it very easy to live cheaply. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat out less to save money, and shop at the outdoor market for groceries. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Flang (Romanian) 100R |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Listen to the language as much as you can, and try to distinguish specific words even if you don't understand those words. Then you can ask, "What does ____ mean?" |
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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| 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? |
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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? | More Romanian! Haha. I wish I had known that it would be the hardest and most exhausting thing I had ever done, but I don't think I could have really understood how hard or how exhausting beforehand. |
