Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Finding yourself through another culture Past Review

By (Linguistics, Brandeis University) - abroad from 12/31/2015 to 05/15/2016 with

CIEE: Hyderabad - Arts and Sciences

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I have learnt a lot about Indian culture, both through traveling and the events organized by our program.

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.

Our semester was disrupted by the student protests on campus and a drought. Of the originally planned 5 months of classes, we ended up with 2,5-3, so it is pretty hard to objectively evaluate the academic component.

* 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? No

The program was somewhat disorganized, though always willing to help in case of trouble.

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? We barely spent any money on food since it was provided on campus
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't go to touristy nets such as Paradise; local small restaurants have much cheaper and much better food

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? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Hindi-100
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* 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?
  • kindness and helpfulness of the coordinators
  • bonding with other people on the program
  • exciting excursions organized by the program
* What could be improved?
  • the communication with the NGO organizations contacted by the CIEE staff can be improved significantly
  • make the access to the direct enrollment classes easier
  • transportation within the city
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How to operate within the local academic environment.

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!