Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

One of the best decisions of my college career! Past Review

By (Psychology and Media Communication, Bethel University) - abroad from 08/18/2011 to 12/08/2011 with

BestSemester: Los Angeles Film Studies Center

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned about myself and the entertainment industry. I also learned about people from all over who come together with a common goal which is awesome to see when it works. This trip was more than worthwhile and I would recommend it to anyone who even has the slightest desire to work in entertainment.

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:

We cooked for ourselves or ate out, food was not provided by our program.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Los Angeles is a city that you can easily become a part of by exploring and doing your research.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any health care issues that needed to be addressed while I was there however if it was needed there were many clinics readily available in the area.

* Safety:

The school and apartments are both in relatively safe neighborhoods. As with any place in a big city however, walking alone especially at night is not the best idea and you always have to be aware of your surroundings.

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)

Gas money was the biggest expense of all. Food could be done for relatively cheap if you could share cooking with someone else and did not eat out often.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Each week was different, anywhere from $45-$120 a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Carpool everywhere to share gas expenses and share cooking costs with others.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* 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 program made it easy to learn, meet new people, and become immersed in the area that is Los Angeles and Hollywood while learning the industry.
* What could be improved?
  • By making it longer maybe so that more in-depth films could be created and more could be learned.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How hard it would be to adjust back to normal college life after experiencing life in LA.