Exceeded every expectation! Best college experience! Past Review
By Kimberlee C (Communications/ Public Relations, Utah Valley University) - abroad from 05/01/2012 to 05/23/2012 with
Utah Valley University: Traveling - Business Marketing
It was worth everything! I had to work really hard to earn enought money to go. I got some sponsors and worked long hours to save the money. It was absolutely worth all that hard work. It was a dream of mine to go to Europe! Now my dream has come true. I learned so much from our appointments, I also learned a lot about the cultures and history of London and Paris. If anyone is even thinking about this study abraod, I highly recommend it! As mentioned earlier, it exceeded my expectations! I had the time of my life, while learning and what applies to my future career and education!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Studying abroad has given me such a great educational experience! I know that most of the things I learned and the experiences I had could not have been taught in the classroom. That is why study abroad is so important; it allows you to gain international experience with a hands-on level. I had the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the best marketers in Europe. I came away from the meetings invigorated and passionate about my education and my future occupation. This is the first study abroad program in the business department at UVU. I am studying business management and communications/public relations. Before now, there has not been a study abroad that really intrigued me. This Marketing study abroad was a dream come true! It applied to my education in communications and business management. The best part was that I received school credit, towards my degree, while having the time of my life! The assignments were not very difficult. It was just the right amount of assignments, we were able to enjoy the study abroad and finish any assignments we needed upon our return. I didn’t feel overwhelmed; I felt excitement and passion for marketing! I highly recommend it to any individual! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our administrators and advisors were incredible! They are very knowledgeable about marketing, fashion retail, and business management. Besides that, they also knew a great deal about the culture and history of the countries we visited. I felt safe and well prepared because of our pre-trip meetings. I can't think of a better advisor than Letty workman to lead the study abroad program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I enjoyed all of our hotels. I felt safe and secure while staying there. Everyone was really nice and accomodating. They were also in great locations for us to make our appointment and see the cities. |
| * Food: |
Of course I loved the food!! I was in Europe!! Everything was really good:) Enough said! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
As mentioned above, we were well prepared before we went to Europe. I had a great experience with the culture, especially in London! Everyone was nice! However, in Paris, we had a few people rude to us in restaurants, but it was nothing too shocking. It's just a part of the culture in France. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt safe while I was on the trip. We stayed together in groups when we had free time. I had no safety-related incidents |
| 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) |
I had saved up enough money before I left so I could do a little shopping and eat some delicous food. Allt he breakfasts are covered and in France all the dinners are covered. So if you need to save money you can manage by purchasing cheaper lunches. It just depends on you and how much you want to spend on food and shopping. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $500 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Before you go on your trip, budget your money so you know how much you can spend on food each day. Also budge money on shopping, so you don't spend all your money at once. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| 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? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | 10+ |
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? | I wish I had read a little more about the Kings and Queens in London. I took a lot of interest in that during our trip. |
