Life-changing Experience blurring the lines between cultures. Past Review
By Lindsay B (Architecture., Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge) - abroad from 02/03/2013 to 05/31/2013 with
American University of Sharjah: Sharjah - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was totally worthwhile because I made life-long friendships and it opened my eyes to a totally different culture. Boundaries between cultures were broken.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
So many resources for an architecture major including robots and high tech machines! Printing was also convenient, and the help IT man was great. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
People were so nice! |
| * Food: |
lots of options and different types of food. Pasta place was good, and you gotta love SUBWAY. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made friends with the locals and we had a blast taking trips to Dubai and camping. it was really easy to make friends because the people are so friendly to exchange students. I love all of the food events that the school puts on. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
healthcare right on campus. I never needed it. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe on campus. |
| 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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It was surprisingly cheap to live on campus at AUS. I spent about 70$ a week on food. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about 200$ per week (70 for food) if you include weekend excursion costs including taxi fares, hotels, etc |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Making friends with the locals cuts down on taxi expenses to get off campus. Cook in your dorm to save money on food. Take advantage of being abroad by still finding a way to do the fun excursions offered. Once in a lifetime chance sometimes. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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 |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew that I was going to be strong enough to be on my own in a totally different part of the world and gain so much independence. I was a little scared of the unknown going into the program. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
