Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

My First Island Getaway Past Review

By (Illinois State University) - abroad from 01/21/2017 to 05/31/2017 with

University of Nicosia - Global Semesters: Nicosia - Semester in Cyprus

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned just how different some people can live their lives, how some cities and countries are fairly similar to the US, how small some countries are and just how big the US truly is

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 courses were challenging, however it was a bit scary how some of the courses only had two items which would determine your grade, midterm and final

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Although I really liked the island and and my experience there, it was not originally my first choice. There were several other locations that I was looking at before hand, but I procrastinated and ended up choosing Cyprus because I wanted to go abroad and just went with it

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Depending on the week, maybe about $80-50
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't feel you always have to go out and if your friends want to, don't feel you have to go with them and spend money. If you want to go, try to compromise with a cheap option

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

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
  • International Students
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 orientation
  • The spring break
  • The weekend trips
* What could be improved?
  • How to make friends with international students
  • Information on the weather
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The weather. It would have been nice to know that even though it was 60 degrees f, it did not feel like it until early April

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 Adventurer
The 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.