Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Exhausting/Great Semester Spent Fighting for Economic & Racial Justice Past Review

By (Sociology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/24/2014 to 12/19/2014 with

CUNY SPS: New York Union Semester

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Was definitely worthwhile!

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?

I was living at home.

* Food:

Again, food from home.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I've lived in New York City my whole life though.

* 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

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)

I was not paying for rent or groceries though. If I had to live only on the stipend I would have been screwed. Many of my classmates could pay for (cheap) rent but then couldn't afford groceries. If you're family can help you out do that. If not, try to get money from Midd to help.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? N/A

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local 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?
  • Hands-on experience combined with theory
  • Diverse (in all senses) classmates & classmates on the Left (a rarity at Middlebury!)
  • Very thurough curriculum
* What could be improved?
  • Stipend
  • Schedule of classes (32 hr internship + 4 classes + commuting time is kinda crazy, lots of people do it, but it's exhausting)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The besides the scenes work of organizing (labor organizing, but any kind of organizing) is super important but can also be boring and/or tedious.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Labor History
Course Department: Union Semester
Instructor: Professor Thayer
Instruction Language: English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

NYC Work, Culture & Politics
Course Department: Union Semester
Instructor: Professor Sadwhani
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Great field trips.
Credit Transfer Issues: Nope!
Course Name/Rating:

Contemporary Issues in Labor
Course Department: Union Semester
Instructor: Professor Ott
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Fascinating material, sometimes class was a little slow-moving.
Credit Transfer Issues: Nope!
Course Name/Rating:

Internship Seminar
Course Department: Union Semester
Instructor: Professor Puerta
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I missed some of this class so I can't give a fully accurate rating.
Credit Transfer Issues: Nope!