An experience like no other Past Review
By Justine F (Ohio State University - Columbus) - abroad from 06/11/2015 to 07/31/2015 with
Summit Global Education: Europe - Study Abroad Tour (Multi-Country)
I learned so much more about cross cultural communication, Europe in general, and a bit about myself than I ever expected. It was worth every penny.
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. |
I learned a lot more than I was even expecting; the cross cultural class was especially useful and interesting if you ever plan on doing something internationally. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration is amiable and knowledgable. They will make sure you are on the right track and help you if anything goes wrong. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Every place we stayed was good and some of them we beyond my wildest expectations. The apartment in Prague was one of the nicest places I've seen. |
| * Food: |
Well, food isn't provided besides free breakfast in some of the hotels. Basically, the food all depends on you. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It depends on how long we're in the city honestly. By the end of Barcelona, a lot of us felt we owned the city. We also felt perfectly comfortable in Prague. The rest depends on how much you liked the culture or how familiar it was. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Some of us, including me, caught minor colds but on the most part it wasn't really anything you needed healthcare for. We did not need any vaccines. |
| * Safety: |
The cities we stay the longest in, Barcelona and Prague, are as safe as a quiet suburban neighborhood in the States; you never feel threatened. You have to be a bit more wary on principal in most of the other countries, but I never felt in danger during the program. |
| 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) |
Europe is expensive. Very expensive. Unless you want to eat next to no food (I attempted in Barcelona before giving up) and don't want to buy any souvenirs, don't expect it to be inexpensive to live. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | probably around $100 at least depending on the country |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't go in with any illusions that food will be cheap. On average dinner out is less expensive than the US, but you should definitely plan for it accordingly so you're not surprised. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | 0 |
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? | How expensive living there would be |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
