Belgium a hidden oasis Past Review
By Santeka G (Coporate Communication, The University of Texas at Austin) for
CIEE: Brussels - Business, Communications and Culture
I could live somewhere else and be more open. Because a problem a lot of american students had when we arrived was comparing everything to America and if it wasn't like what we were used to, then it wasn't right. So we had to change the way we looked at things.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Some of my professors were not understanding and I feel like they felt a certain way about me because I was American. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CIEE staff was awesome even if I didn't study abroad there again, I would definitely choose a program offered through CIEE |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
A great variety. I had a chance to taste Belgian cuisine. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We did a lot of traveling together to places I probably wouldn't have went on my own, but I had a great time. Like Normandy, it's a place everyone should see and it gave me a chance to bond with the people studying abroad with me. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
They gave us a list of health providers and we had great resources. We went over safety during our orientation so we were prepared because most of us lived or are from cities where public transportation doesn't really exist. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No I think it was money well spent. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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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? | It can definitely be a growing experience. It would be good for someone wanting to travel a lot. It's also nice because most people don't even know where Belgium is or have never heard of it so it's kind of like a oasis. When you're tired of traveling and partying on the weekends, it's a very calming and restful place. |
