Such a great program I'm going back! Past Review

By (BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES., Woodbury University) - abroad from 07/02/2014 to 08/03/2014 with

Forum-Nexus: Ultimate Summer in Europe - 9 Cities in 1 Month

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained cultural competence, international intelligence, and international business and marketing essentials. The staff and professors are organized and know how to run a fun international learning experience.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Professors are highly internationally knowledgable and bring in field experiences from each particular city.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Great host country administrators! They helped us get acquainted with their universities very well.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The program has taken a great deal of time to set up all the 4-5 star hotels we went to.

* Food:

Breakfast is included in tuition. The rest you're free to explore local restaurants and markets.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Professional visits really brought out the local culture. Specially the bank in Milan to invited us to their outdoor music event.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Health issues are taken very seriously. The program asks for a history of all its students to ensure they take all the precautionary risks.

* Safety:

Program directors and staff always made us feel safe, and took extra precaution when we were traveling to the next city.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100-$200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? With Forum Nexus students learn how to travel with a budget. Regardless of how much money a student goes there with, there are saving tricks to be able to study on a budget. The program includes a free breakfast everyday of the trip. They also inform students where super markets are in each city that we are in.

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

Almost always!

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? Advanced Latin
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? The program gives key words students should know before each city. But I always did a quick search on need to knows just for myself too.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people
  • The locations
  • The Forum Nexus experience
* What could be improved?
  • Nothing!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Pack less, its better to do laundry and re-wear clothes than it is to travel with heavy bags!

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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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.