Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Amazing once in a lifetime experience Past Review

By (Baldwin-Wallace University) - abroad from 05/05/2019 to 05/20/2019 with

Baldwin Wallace University: Doing business in Japan, Hosted by the Asia Institute

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a lot of insight on how a completely different culture does not have to be intimidating just because it is different and that understanding and being respectful goes a long way in interacting with other people and cultures.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

I felt that overall the program was run very well and smoothly. The trip was very enjoyable and was just unstructured enough to allow for a lot of personal growth and exploration without feeling like we were on our own.

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)

Was not expecting food to be so expensive in some areas and was not notified at how prevalent cash use was going to be -- we were told that a smaller budget than what we ended up needed was going to be enough including souvenirs -- a lot of other students had this problem too would have been nice to have a better heads up about cash and how expensive everything was going to be along with knowing that we were going to have to pay for a lot of the public transportation

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to find areas that are not as touristy if you are trying to find cheaper meals that are still good quality

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The unstructured free time within the areas that we were touring in
  • The food
  • How welcoming and encouraging everyone of the trip was including staff
* What could be improved?
  • Being more clear about what is financially needed and what we are expected to pay for (food, transportation, etc)
  • Having more time for lunch when in different areas
  • Going more into detail about the monument or place that we are going (significance, history, etc)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish that I knew how openminded and kind the Japanese culture / people are because I feel like it was intimidating at first to jump into the country with no prior experience and minimal knowledge -- however, this left a lot of room for personal growth and learning

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.