Phenomenal! Past Review
By A student (Psychology, Trinity University) - abroad from 01/15/2015 to 06/06/2015 with
Central College Abroad: Bangor - Bangor University
I learned I was able to live independently much more than I thought I'd be able to. My experience was better than I could have ever hoped for. There was a strong outdoor component that I enjoyed much more than I thought I would, given that I had no previous experience with many of the activities I did
Review Photos
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. |
The history and culture course provided by Central was extremely informative. Other classes offered directly by Bangor University were overall quite good. However, coming from a small private school, it was a bit jarring to go to such a larger school in terms of getting help with classes. The registration process can be a bit confusing, and while the International department at Bangor University did their best to make the process better, but the other departments were not always used to handlng international student affairs. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program director was amazing and really helped enhance our experience! She was very accessible and answered many of our questions quickly and clearly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with first years as a junior sometimes made it hard to connect with my flatmates (they were much more concerned with partying and drinking than academics, and many of them were from the area, so had no interest in exploring it) but the flats were very nice to live in |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
I cooked most of my own meals, so my food budget was fairly similar to what I'd spend at home. Eating out around Bangor could get a little pricey but was worth it |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Look for student and youth discounts! I saved a lot of money that way. |
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 |
There was an optional Welsh class that was provided for us, and our program director was willing to practice with us whenever we wanted. However, it was not mandatory, nor was speaking it. |
| 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? | None - I had no experience with Welsh |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Many native Welsh speakers are generally happy to help you practice, but English is the predominant language, so you'll need to seek out these opportunities |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? |
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? | How the classes worked (i.e., their expectations, how to register) |
