Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Life-Changing Past Review

By (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 06/01/2012 to 07/07/2012 with

University of Texas at Austin: Engineering Standards and Industrial Policy in a Global Environment

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
WOW. I got to see some incredible places and experience some amazing people. It was life-changing, worth every penny. Take advantage to go abroad while you have this much time off b/c you won't get this much again until you retire. Travelling before & after the program & taking advantage of CouchSurfing & the Eurail was the best decision I ever made. Not being afraid to spend the day with new people & getting to know them & enjoy your time is what really makes it all worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Promologis (on-campus housing office) were so rude! Even when we had a student from INSA who spoke French, they were very rude to us. During orientation they snatched a paper out of our hand and crumbled it up because they wanted us to start over.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved how we had our own 1 bed/1 bath dorm, but wish our whole group could have been in the same building! But it was still a great time, it can't be perfect. Wi-fi would have been nice instead of the ethernet cord (which was overly complicated to get set up w/ IT)

* Food:

Some days, the meat was raw... Other than that, when the food was cooked it was cheap for a 3-course healthy meal!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Being welcomed by the students from INSA a part of the foreign exchange welcoming program was great! We met a good friend, Omar who really helped us not just the night we met him but also throughout the program. He was great.

* 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? 400
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook! & if you're travelling outside of the program, join Couchsurfing.org! It was the best decision I made and the experience was amazing.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? Spanish III Honor
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? buy one of the pocket phrase books by Berlitz. It's not like a dictionary, it's so easy to follow, categorized by different scenarios you'll encounter & even has the pronunciation. It really saved us quite a few times.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* 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?
  • The diversity of our experience, it wasn't just in the classroom, Dr. Ellzey took us on technical & cultural tours. It was amazing
  • No homework/exams, just group presentations everyday. Working in groups really helped us learn & grow.
  • The balance of our technical & cultural learning experience.
* What could be improved?
  • Having wi-fi in the dorms since we did have to collaborate & use the internet everyday for our homework & living in separate buildings made that hard.
  • Showing us the cheaper grocery stores instead of the most expensive one our first day.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Force yourself to PACK LIGHT!! Remember, you can buy many things over there, some you'll like better. If you're flying Ryanair while travelling across Europe, you better be at the airport 2 hours early with a very light check-in. They're beyond strict and lacking sympathy, they just want your money and hope you miss your flight so they can take more of your money. Mail stuff back to the states through the post office when you can, it is not that expensive at all and is completely worth it not having to carry it all around or deal with it at the airport. Get a MacBook air & watch your belongings!