An interesting, but memorable experience. Past Review
By A student (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 08/31/2018 to 12/21/2018 with
Study Abroad Programs in Russia
It was worthwhile. I truly learned how to adapt to a culture very different than my own. You learn that some people may not have anything in common with you, but you can still form a connection with them.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Depending on how many classes you take on will mean how much work you do. Lectures range between 3-6 hours at a time, so you may find yourself with many free days or all-day in class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They are very good about posting grades and letting you know about what to prepare for during the week. Sometimes they will tell you at the last minute, so always have your documents and photos prepared for anything that may come up. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We each had our own rooms with private bathrooms. There is a kitchen on every floor. The size of the bathroom was small, and the walls are thin. |
| * Food: |
Vegetables are difficult to come by unless you're willing to spend a little more money. Business lunch is a really great way to budget. There are many places to eat for you are in the city center. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I would go out a lot whenever I didn't have too much class time, and it's not too difficult to make Russian friends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Very well. They understood if you were/felt sick, but keep in mind that classes grade on attendance too, so that could heavily affect your grade if you even miss 1 or 2 lectures. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I enjoyed it, but unfortunately I always had a lot to do because of my work load. I had to take many classes to get credit, and that made me very busy and unable to go out and do as many things as I wanted to. |
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? | 50-200 dollars a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Separate your money, and keep most of it in cash. Some establishments may not have cards yet. |
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? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 1 year of intensive Russian. |
| 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? | Go out and speak to locals. Your Russia friends would probably rather practice their English than let you speak Russian. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | I wish I would have known how classes worked so I would have taken more classes before hand of diminished my work load sooner. That way, I would have had more time to enjoy my study abroad. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
