Past Review
By Svetoslava K (Neurobiology and Neurosciences., The College of William and Mary) for
University of Fribourg: Fribourg - American College Program
Totally worth it. It made me appreciate the difficulty in really learning a foreign language, and gave me a new appreciation for people who are bi/tri-lingual.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Fribourg |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The language aspect made it more difficult but there were a lot of introductory courses available that were manageable. It was hard to catch on to the terminology of higher level courses. The workload only because difficult at the end of the semester when finals were all in the same week. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Each student was given a single bedroom and bathroom. Bedsheets were changed and the bathroom was clean by dorm staff. The only downside was that students mostly spoke English since it was an international dorm. |
| * Food: |
Restaurants were very expensive, but with good food. Grocery store prices were comparable to American prices (meat was more expensive) and since a kitchen was available in the dorms, preparing my own meals was my favorite way to eat. Dining halls did provide meals that were much cheaper than restaurants and very filling, but they could be hit-or-miss depending on the day. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Not being completely confident with the language made it frightening to go and communicate with the locals. The program did include a 3 day land tour when we first arrived to let us see some of the larger cities, which helped in getting used to the feel of the land. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Switzerland felt as safe as surburbia. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Internet fees. You think you can live without the internet. You can't. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The most practice came from daily interactions with salespeople. In the classroom participating was optional and in the residence halls a lot of the students were international and used English as the common language. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Do it. |
