Good! Past Review

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/14/2019 to 05/19/2019 with

CIEE: Brussels - Business, Communications and Culture

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
it helped me grow a lot by being alone and not knowing anyone prior to getting in the program.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

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 like the people a lot and the city was amazing.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $25

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
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? french 32
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? find a local friend to help you. A lot of places have tandem programs already set up.

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
  • International Students
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?
  • location
  • language
  • city
* What could be improved?
  • resources
  • organization
  • visa process/help
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That its ok to not know things. Sometimes I felt useless not knowing the language or culture but that is normal for everyone and none of the locals really care that you're foreign. They even think its interesting most of the time