The experience of a lifetime Past Review
By A student (Psychology/English, The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 07/06/2012 to 08/10/2012 with
William & Mary: Summer Program at Cambridge University
I was encouraged to be very open-minded about everything, which I think was great. I allowed myself to make mistakes, which is difficult for me. It was incredibly worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was a little inconsistent. Some weeks we would have very little work, and other weeks we would be overburdened. I wish it could be more spread out, especially near the end. I understand that there must be finals, but this makes it difficult to have an optimal cultural experience at the end of the trip. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Again, inconsistent. Some of the staff of the college were incredibly helpful, but some were not. There was some contradictory information being passed around as to our access to certain places of the college. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was a really spacious single room. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
It felt very safe, but I feel like the program should advise students in the future that you must be careful crossing the street. Cars do not stop as often for pedestrians. Do not walk unless the sign is green for pedestrian crossing. There were several times when people almost got hit by cars. |
| 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 wish the program had provided more realistic estimates about how much people often spend abroad. Because of the below quality kitchen in the dorm and the limited meal plan, a lot of money was spent on food and personal expenses. I felt like I was one of the most pragmatic people in my group, and I still spent a large amount. |
| * 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? | $150-200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eating out every night is expensive, so for a few days a week try to buy bread and meat for sandwiches. It saves a lot. |
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? | How much it would cost, and a little more about the culture of England. The modules were only concerned about other cultures that are very different, like eastern cultures, but barely even touched on England. |
