Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Solid Academic Experience in Geneva December 19, 2023

By (Peace and Justice Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/18/2023 to 12/21/2023 with

Geneva Graduate Institute and Wellesley College - BA/MA Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I took a lot of interesting classes from professors who were experts in their field and strengthened my writing skills

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I think the MINT program is fairly comparable to Wellesley's level of difficulty or slightly easier, although since the standard is 5 classes not 4 each class is slightly less work

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The student support for issues like visas and residence permits is strong. They were able to help when my resident permit had an error and my emails to the Canton were ignored. However in terms of academics I had to repeatedly ask for information about how program requirements are different for the BA/MA program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had a studio which was nice, but housing administration took away vacuums and dish soap because a few people misused them

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I mostly spent time with other international students and some swiss students

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I tried to set up a health care appointment and they cancelled twice. Insurance is also difficult to navigate

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I think the program is very strong in international affairs and if you're interested in the UN or other international systems it's a good place to learn about it

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 50-100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? La Farce gives you free food every week for an annual fee of 20 francs. A lot of places have discounts for young people. I would get groceries at budget grocery stores or in France

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

There are some student initiatives to practice French and we had one session of our mandatory class in French. If your French level is under B1 you have to take a French class

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 4 years of high school French
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Academics
  • Interactions with Fellow Students
  • Location
* What could be improved?
  • Health Care
  • Student Initatives
  • Language Learning
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You are required to take classes related to your program of study senior spring at Wellesley so if you're double majoring in an unrelated subject get those classes out of the way

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!