Experience East Slavic Europe (Summer) Past Review

By Reva M (University Studies, Morehead State University) for

Study Abroad Programs in Ukraine

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Yes this was a worthwhile experience. Even though I wasn't enrolled in an art class I felt I learned a lot and enjoyed seeing the different forms of art available. Meeting the local people and getting contact information from them to stay in touch is beneficial for a long term relationship and learning experience. This has reinforced my decission to minor in International Studies and further my studies in this area.

Review Photos

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Sometimes I felt we didn't have a classroom to use and left to go somewhere else, which was fine with me since I couldn't hear due to the echo in the room. It was often disorganized and we were left to figure things out at the last minute.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	The laundry facilities were not available to us making it difficult to get clean clothes.
* Food:	I enjoyed experiencing different foods and have no diet restrictions.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I especially liked meeting the Ukrainian students and professors. The trip to the Carpathian Mountains was nice since it gave us more time to get to know each other.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I got a sinus infection and the medicine available over the counter could have been stronger.
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)

Language

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	N/A

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I would advise students to take their own computers for homework and being able to communicate back home. It is cheaper to e-mail and skype than to phone. This is not a program for the lazy student or someone who can not adjust to eating different foods. This is not for the pampered person who likes to complain and make the trip miserable for others. This program would be really great for the art student and I would like to see the art department represented because the area is rich in various arts.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	English Travel Writing Course
Course Department:	ENG 399-02
Instructor:	Beth Crachiolo
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The course was very challenging and since this was a writing course we were encouraged to carry our journals with us at all times to make notes and write as things came to us and document what we saw. Since we took a lot of field trips and were trying to live and experience the culture and interact with the local people it felt like the class was constant even though we weren't in a classroom setting or in a scheduled class time. It was not encouraged for us to take our own computers since there would be internet cafes to use but I found this to not work for me. The computers were in a foreign language for the command buttons and using Microsoft office was impossible for me to figure out how to save and send my homework. The dorm also had a curfew which prevented me from being able to do homework afterhours and since supper was usually late this was most difficult for me to accomplish. It would be helpful to have better computer service provided in the dorms and students either take their own computer or have some on the premises to use with internet connection.
Credit Transfer Issues:	my grades have not been posted as of today, 12 days after my return home

Course Name/Rating:	Topics in History: People, History, and Culture of Ukraine
Course Department:	HIST 490
Instructor:	Dr. Adrian O. Mandzy
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I enjoyed the field trips and the interaction with the Ukrainian students and professors. I found it difficult to find time to keep up with the reading assignments and homework with such a heavy load of field trips and trying to learn the culture through interacting with the local people. The language class needed to be reinforced earlier on to aid with our communications with the local people. I found it difficult to hear what was being said in class and during the field trips. The professor's voice did not carry well and the classroom had an echo sound. Also during the field trips the professor was at the front leading the way while talking and you couldn't hear from behind. I missed a lot of the classroom discussion simply because I did not hear the message. Also there was no use of a blackboard to aid in the spelling or if you had trouble hearing what was being said. There were no handouts given to use as a backup for information that could not be heard. I also found it difficult to keep straight which church or building was which after a while and could have used more written information on what we were seeing on the field trips. One of my biggest problems was finding time to do homework assignments and not being able to hear.
Credit Transfer Issues:	my grades have not been posted 12 days after my return