Imagine Indonesia is a unique, once in a lifetime experience! Past Review
By A student (Fine Arts, Studio Arts, Eastern Illinois University) - abroad from 05/15/2015 to 06/13/2015 with
Eastern Illinois University (EIU): Bali & Java - Imagine Indonesia: Discover the Wonders of Bali and Java
My experience abroad taught me a lot about about a different culture, and gave me a great appreciation for Indonesian history and customs. It was absolutely worthwhile- I got to meet new people, both from my school and from Indonesia and learn in an immersion environment which made the experience so much richer. I would recommend this program to anyone wanting to learn a lot in a new environment.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Our professors were amazing and had so much pre-planned for us. The courses were really difficult to go through because the lack of internet at times, and the very long stressful days, but overall we learned a lot and had a great time. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our host facilitators were incredibly welcoming and accommodating. They had amazing sites for us to visit that were all tied into the lessons. They prepared us for cultural differences and customs and were able to show us a native viewpoint, which was incredibly important to the trip mission. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The hotels we stayed at were great! All of them were very clean, modern, and in great locations. Most of them had pools, which was necessary with the heat. |
| * Food: |
Indonesian food was very different, super fresh, and amazingly delicious. We were all scared of getting sick, fortunately we left mostly unscathed. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We had daily contact with locals and through our lessons, trips, and by going to the markets and just living within the town. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Never really had to deal with serious health issues. We had to make sure we were always hydrated, getting plenty of rest, and being careful about what we ate. |
| * Safety: |
Ubud was pretty safe feeling, as with all foreign cities, don't go out alone, don't go out at night, and be careful with taxis- they will try to rip you off. Java was wild, be really careful and negotiate with the drivers before agreeing to any trips. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan on packing light and bringing money to buy clothes that blend in to the region (climate/ culturally) and don't buy a lot of souvenirs right off the bat. See what is around and do shopping shortly before leaving. That means that you can make a list of the things you want to bring back and you don't spend excessively on things you don't really need. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| 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? | very basic |
| 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? | Go to the market!!! Use the language in restaurants, all of the servers and vendors love it when you do. |
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? | 0 |
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? | I only wish I had been prepared for the amount of work we were going to have. It was really exhausting and I was sick for weeks after coming back. |
