Extremely Mediocure! Past Review
By adin johnson (The Citadel) - abroad from 09/22/2016 to 12/22/2016 with
University of Nicosia - Global Semesters: Nicosia - Semester in Cyprus
I needed to do more research on the location before going. Yes it is a beautiful country with good food. I did not realize how slow and calm it would turn out to be. Slow and calm did get old after a while and I found myself counting the days before I went home. Was it worthwhile? For me, no.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Global semesters did a fantastic job at providing help and insight |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There was no TV. Given how uneventful Nicosia is, having a TV is a must. |
| * Food: |
The food here is incredible |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Found that there was some distaste towards Americans by the local Cypriots |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Very very safe country. Never felt threatened in any instance. Probably the safest country I have ever visited. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
The program was set up extremely well by Global Semesters and The University of Nicosia and The Citadel. The country of Cyprus is just not that eventful. I dare even say boring. For me, this was a deal breaker. However, others may like the slow pace of Nicosia. |
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) |
Saving money was pretty easy due to the meal vouchers I received as a Citadel Cadet. However, traveling anywhere from the apartment will cost an arm and a leg. Public transport is terrible and the taxis charge incredible amounts of money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | >$150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The meal vouchers were a life saver for me. I am not sure how the other students without vouchers survived. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I had no desire to learn or speak Greek, therefore I did not try to learn it. However, GS sent us many local things to visit to immerse ourselves in the culture. |
| 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? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Studying a language in a classroom is always far different than actually speaking it on a day-to-day basis. Just prepare yourself for that. Do not get overwhelmed or frustrated. Many people in Cyprus speak English. |
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? |
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? | Traveling from Cyprus will cost a horrendous amount compared to other larger mainland airports due to isolation in the middle of the Mediterranean. I wish I knew how slow paced and uneventful Nicosia would be. I also wish I knew how poor public transport is within the city of Nicosia. |
