Incredibly Wonderful---Minunata si Frumoasa. BYU in Iasi Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It would have been very helpful to have had more than a block semester of our preparation course to prepare us. I would have liked more knowledge/information about the types of disabilities we would encounter in Romania and how to support children with those disabilities before we arrived in Romania. However, learning from the experience was excellent!

On-site administration of your program

Sometimes it felt like we were alone without on-site administration. I would have liked to have seen our in-country facilitator more than we did. She was always a phone call away, which was nice, but I felt we had to put forth more effort to receive what we needed. A visit from faculty was very nice--it helped remind me that the University was a support.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

It was a very nice apartment, perhaps even above the average housing in Romania. Seeing the housing the students from the Ukraine program had made our Romanian apartment look very humble, but it was good enough for me. Besides if we lived in something fancy we wouldn't have had a valuable cultural experience.

Excellent, excellent! Sarmale and mamaliga are my favorite. Food was always available. We didn't have to worry about that. The only thing I had to make adjustment for was bringing my own bag for my groceries and hauling all my groceries back to the apartment. You come to appreciate your food when you have to carry it a long(er) distance.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We made many friends through the branch in Iasi. It was wonderful! Communicating and feeling comfortable living and functioning in the culture came with time, but it definitely came. I would have liked more time with the ladies we worked with in the orphanage. In fact, it would be amazing if we had more than 3 hours each day to work in the orphanage.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There were only three of us and no one became seriously ill, but two of us were sick for a good 2 maybe 3 weeks. I did appreciate having our in-country facilitator to help with health concerns. She made sure to check on our health, and she would give counsel about what to do when we were sick. When I was sick, I did my best to take it easy, but eventually I just had to let my body heal itself with time. I guess my rating is lower because I wonder if something could have been done to help me recover more quickly. I have no serious complaints because I was only sick with a cold/ear ache. There are pharmacies everywhere, but wasn't so sure about the medications. I never did go inside a farmacie to buy medication. I know they sell antibiotics over the counter. I don't think there were any prevalent health issues in Iasi, just be careful with the water.

Overall I felt safe. Of course we had to be more aware because it was only the three of us, but that actually helped us with safety. we blended in and didn't attract a lot of attention. We were told we looked like three Romanian teenagers walking around. Advice for future students: don't go wandering around by yourself, and if there are issues within your group, resolve them quickly. Whatever these issues are, do not let it compromise your safety. Your safety is more important than whether or not you're getting along with the people in your group. There was only one time I can really recall when I felt unsafe. There was a man leaning over and laughing on the street. After we passed him when we were walking home from the orphanage he started following us. He could have been drunk, I don't know. We made it safely back to the apartment though, and didn't see anymore sign of him.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I think I might have had under a student's budget at times. I needed to be careful with how much money I spent because I was not anticipating the European tour we were invited to go on with the group from Ukraine. I was hard at times, but I pulled through and I even had a few food items to leave for the incoming group.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

I used the language everyday and I am so grateful I did. Not only did I need to use the language, but very soon it became I privilege to use the language---especially while working in the orphanage and hospital.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Other

• The children from the orphange and the hospital
• Little hands, smiles, laughs, and bright eyes
• The desire to help, love, and serve. And seeing this desire grow within me

• My relationship with the psycologist at the orphanage.
• More responsibilites at the hospital
• More time in the orphanage!!!

The Avid Adventurer