The Trip of a Lifetime Past Review
By Kerrigan Cook (University of Arkansas - Fayetteville) - abroad from 08/31/2016 to 12/21/2016 with
University of Nicosia - Global Semesters: Nicosia - Semester in Europe (Multi-country)
An entire now outlook on life and my role on Earth. A newfound appreciation for other cultures. A deeper understanding of myself and my thoughts. A desire to continually see and experience new places and things. The heightened moral obligation to empathize and stand up for those less fortunate than myself. Yes, very worth it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I often found my lecturers to be unclear about their instructions- particularly involving papers and presentations. Also, it was common for myself to be the first person in class even when I was five minutes late. Both students and professors were all consistently tardy- a habit that I found unprofessional. However, I'm sure these shortcomings can be chalked up to cultural differences! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
If I were ever confronted with a problem, I automatically went straight to Laura for assistance. I found her to be at a level of usefulness well beyond her peers. I would give Laura 5 stars. I would give the rest of the administration 3 stars. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Location was excellent- I lived in the maro apartments directly across from the university. I did, however, find it inconvient that my building was the only one without a washing machine inside the flat. That left me with the option to pay 3 euros per load or lug each load to do in a friends apartment. Not ideal options. |
| * Food: |
I'm unsure what I'm rating because food was not included in my program. There were some good, cheap dining options within the neighborhood and in the downtown area- not to mention the 24 hour bakery nearby! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I found the locals to be exceedingly uninterested in spending time with us foreigners. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't personally require any health care services. However, my friends who did said the hospital was nearby, they were cared for quickly, and the experience was overall simple. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in my host city. Even as a 5'1 female, I never even felt unsafe passing by groups of men alone at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
While the added travel component of the semester in Europe program was amazing, I didn't realize how much extra this addition really cost me. The only difference between the semester in Europe program and the semester in Cyprus program was the three week tour of Europe prior to classes starting. The price difference between the two programs was around $7,500. Additionally, I spent another $1,500 on food and souvenirs during those three weeks alone. I now wish I would have done the semester in Cyprus program and traveled throughout Europe independently as I am confident that I could have done this for significantly less money. |
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) |
This was easy as longer as I wasn't travel multiple weekends a month. Buses to Old Town only ran me .75 euros a trips and food was cheap enough, especially if I didn't eat it out too often. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Roughly 50 euros per week- give or take. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook at home instead of eating out every night- even though there are cheap dining options nearby. Take the bus- taxis to Old Town run you about 10 euros both ways whereas the bus only costs .75 per trip. |
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? | 0 |
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? | The vast price difference between the semester in Europe program and the semester in Cyprus program. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
