One adventure after another! Past Review
By A student (Texas A&M University - College Station) - abroad from 06/05/2017 to 08/11/2017 with
Universiti Teknologi Petronas: Seri Iskandar - American Student Exchange Program
Definitely!
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. |
The lab work I was doing was not necessarily hard, but learning the science/engineering behind it all was pretty amazing. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
When we arrived, we could tell things were very disorganized from the beginning. It took most of us about 2 weeks for lab safety clearances that could have easily taken 1-2 days. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I do understand that we are in a "developing country." Therefore, going into this program I knew that our housing was going to be substandard to American living. We were 2 to a room with a fan, a box A/C unit, and community bathrooms and shower with NO hot water. Main reason for a 3 star is the NO hot water. |
| * Food: |
Food was easily available with variety and was VERY cheap. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The school did a poor job of pre-planning social and cultural events. However, traveling outside of UTP we were able to better engage in many social and cultural activities. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I am most disappointed with the CISI Insurance we were required to purchase for the trip. At one point, we were highly encourage to get Mercury testing due to an incident on campus. We were told to go to a specific hospital and we had all the information needed so that we wouldn't have to pay for the visit. When we arrived, the hospital staff didn't recognize our insurance and after being on the phone for an hour with CISI international representatives and Texas A&M representatives we were told we had to pay for test and be reimbursed later after filing a claim. Also, turns out the Mercury test at the center takes 3 weeks for results when we were told when we arrived it would only take 24 hours. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
By the third week, you truly feel immersed in the work and social culture of Malaysia. |
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? | $400 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | N/A |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | They don't use toilet paper...they use the water hose to wash themselves after. |
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 NetworkerAn active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume. |
