Best city in the world Past Review

By (Political Science, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/21/2015 to 06/06/2015 with

Bard College: St. Petersburg - Liberal Arts study abroad at Smolny College

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The whole experience was great- my language skills improved and I got to immerse myself in Russian culture. It was absolutely worthwhile, and while it wouldn't have been possible academically, I would have liked to do a full year of study in SPB.

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.

Excellent program. Well organized, personal to the students, good academic rigor but balanced with cultural learning. Program staff and advisors are wonderful.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Living with a host family takes a little adjustment, as it should, but Bard does a great job of vetting their families and making sure the students are doing well in those homes for the whole semester. It was a challenging but great experience to be able to live with a family, and certainly the best way to improve language skills.

* Food:

Russian food is a special thing. You'll learn to appreciate dill and sour cream and subsist on tea instead of water.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The host university has its own culture and it is a commuter school so it was a little difficult to integrate into the school's culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

No issues.

* Safety:

No issues. The program does a good safety overview at the beginning. SPB is like any other big city though, so most of it is just being smart and aware of your surroundings and situations.

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)

Your host family provides 2 meals a day and you're in charge of lunch, which can be found cheaply, but also adds up if you're not aware. Food isn't necessarily that much cheaper, especially at cafes and restaurants. Transportation and museums/cultural activities are quite cheap though. You can live at a minimal cost comfortably.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 10-100$ (absolutely depends on the week, if students would go out, etc)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? The stolovaya at school is a cheap lunch, and you can also get cheaper food by buying things from the grocery stores and making little lunches for yourself.

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

We weren't required to speak Russian while with the other American students, which took away some of the intensive language aspect.

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? 3rd year
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Don't take classes in English- you're in Russia to learn Russian, and the professors work with you to keep you up to pace in the classes. Being in a classroom for 3 hours that is only Russian is great for comprehension.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Courses
  • Program coordination/events
  • Host family experience
* What could be improved?
  • more effort to engage American and Smolny students at the start of the semester
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It's not going to be easy! It will be difficult to adjust sometimes, there will be things you don't understand about Russia, but that is part of the fun, and hopefully you'll feel at home within a few weeks.

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!