Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An amazing once in a lifetime experience I will never forget. Past Review

By (University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 05/07/2012 to 05/30/2012 with

University of Northern Iowa: UNI Capstone in Four Countries

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned what it was like to be immersed into an unfamiliar culture for an extended period of time. It's a very different feeling than being at home as most people can imagine, but it is very refreshing at the same time. You begin to appreciate things that you normally take for granted. You also learn to live without all of the Western World conveniences like free bathrooms and water; most of the time those things were paid for while I was in Europe. The experience is definitely worthwhile and really teaches you some invaluable lessons that can only be achieved if one studies abroad.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* 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? Yes

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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 300-400

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Being immersed deep into a culture far different from my own and really experience, explore, and learn about another part of the world.
  • The opportunity to try different foods and drinks that I had never seen or heard of before being on my capstone.
* What could be improved?
  • Sometimes plans would have to be changed or travel times were inaccurate which caused me to be under-prepared for the day. Not a huge deal but inconvenient.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I would have know that there were going to be easily accessible laundry services throughout the trip. I would not have packed as heavy as I did.