Incredibly Valuable Experience Past Review
By Victoria U (Ivey Business School) - abroad from 05/07/2018 to 07/06/2018 with
Authentica: Virtual Internship eXperience
I learned how to manage teams with cultural differences, and how to quickly adapt to the culture.
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. |
Great educational experience. I worked on a strategy project that I had no experience in prior, and received a lot of guidance where needed. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Organized and well put together. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Lived in a hotel that was very comfortable. |
| * Food: |
There are lots of international options so that you can ease into a new cuisine if you need to. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very immersed into the culture as my friendly coworkers were always open to showing me local events and restaurants that I otherwise would not have found on my own. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Very easy to access healthcare and medications. |
| * Safety: |
As a female, I felt safe walking at night from the hotel to my gym. There were never any issues. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would love to even go back and do another project to be honest. It was such an incredible experience. |
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) |
If you plan well, it is quite easy to live on a budget. Otherwise, it is easy to spend a lot at expensive tourist spots but my coworkers were great for advising. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Can't remember |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Budget on a weekly-basis and definitely set an "excursion" budget so that you are not paying for overpriced trips on the weekend. |
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 |
We could learn from Vietnamese if we wanted to but it was also not completely necessary. I had classmates that only knew how to say "hello" and they were completely comfortable. |
| 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? | N/A |
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 recognized that I need to be in the present moment and really take in the experience fully. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
