Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Do something different and have fun! Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/15/0018 to 05/05/0018 with

The Swedish Program: Stockholm, Sweden

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned to get around in a city, cook for myself, being comfortable in new places, and a lot more confidence in myself trying new things

Personal Information

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

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes meet once a week besides the language course. The classes don't require much outside work, but actually are very informative and interesting. Easier than a regular college class but tougher than most study abroad classes.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Awesome people who are extremely helpful and set up fun trips.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This program allows you to actually feel like you're part of the city and the culture because they don't hold your hand the whole semester.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Very easy system and the program has a doctor.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

This program was awesome. I don't think one kid had a negative experience and it's a much more real study abroad experience than others without being completely overwhelming

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)

You get a food stipend (you paid for it) but food and alcohol are expensive

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 75
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook your meals with your roommate and bring the leftovers for lunch. Most kids didn't eat with their roommates but it makes everything cheaper and more convenient.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

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? None
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? Try to use it when you order or just ask a Swedish kid in the atrium to help you practice they think it's fun for the most part.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
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?
  • The students
  • The city
  • the trips/opportunities
* What could be improved?
  • the language course
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I couldn't because I was hurt, but I'd recommend playing a club sport even if you're not good at it to meet new swedes

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Economics of Euro Integration
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The teacher is a great guy and a strong bulk of the grade is based off the homework. It's an interesting subject, but can be a bit dry.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Beginning Swedish
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: This was a challenging course. I think most students thought the grading would be easier so most started out with lower grades than expected. Overall you end up learning an impressive amount of Swedish and the structure of the class is pretty good
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Psychology of Work
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: I really liked this class and thought the subject was interesting even without being a psych major (most people weren't). We were graded against each other for papers, and the Swedish students did much better because they had a better sense of what the teacher was looking for on the first paper.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Language, Cognition and Behavior
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: This was a great class that didn't require outside psych knowledge. It was mostly discussion based and the papers allowed you to take them in many different directions. Also, being a study abroad student learning a foreign language made this a great and relevant class.
Credit Transfer Issues: