Most amazing experience I have ever had. Past Review
By A student (Elementary Education and Teaching, Early Childhood Education, University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 05/14/2014 to 05/28/2014 with
University of Northern Iowa: Capstone in England and Ireland
I learned that not everyone lives the way I do. Americans live a very complicated life, and people in other countries are very simple. I need to live a simpler life and things do not have to be so complicated.
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. |
Overall the course was interesting and very laid back which is nice. I learned a ton while I was abroad but also while I was in class during the Spring semester. The professor is fantastic and I wouldn't want to have taken it or gone on the trip with anyone else! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Professor gave us enough information on the places that we visited that it was interesting but not boring. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
England's rooms were very dirty, I felt safe but did not feel clean while I was there. The hostel in Bath was probably the nicest hostel living arrangements we had. In Ireland, Killarney had the best hotel. It was perfect, clean, nice and in a great location. I felt safe in the environment and felt clean when I left. |
| * Food: |
Food was alright, the meal at the restaurant was better than the meal at the hotel. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt as integrated as I could. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No health issues. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe, except for the location of the hotel in England. The area seemed alright but was sort of sketchy. Same type of area that the hostel was in Dublin. |
| 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) |
It was easy because I saved up a ton of money, but if I had not, I would have struggled a lot. It was difficult to find cheap places because things are so expensive over there. I think more preparation would have helped. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $1800 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save as much money as can be. I thought there was no way I would spend the $2000 I had saved up, but I spent almost that much. I was very unaware of the cost of things in both countries. Things were very expensive over there. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | How expensive things are in other countries. |
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 AdventurerThe 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. |
