Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Work hard, play hard! Past Review

By (Santa Clara University) - abroad from 07/08/2019 to 08/16/2019 with

iXperience Lisbon – Summer Courses and Internships in Full Stack Coding, or Management Consulting

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to be a consultant. Going into the program I knew practically nothing about consulting, now 6 weeks later I am one, which is CRAZY! I never thought I would be able to learn so much in such little time. It was definitely worthwhile!

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.

* 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

I loved how much I learned, the program was very well designed. If I were to do it all over again I would choose a different location to study abroad. Lisbon is great, but I'm really outdoorsy, so there wasn't much for me to do there in that regard.

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? roughly 60-80 Euros

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? 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? AP Spanish is high school, but I'd never learned Portuguese before.
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? All we learned really was how to say "hello", "goodbye", "thank you", and "sorry". Besides that we didn't speak much Portuguese since most people spoke English or could understand me when I spoke Spanish.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • I learned SO much
  • The teaching staff was amazing!
  • All the internship options were really cool and unique!
* What could be improved?
  • The excursions were fun but their weren't that many and they felt a bit disorganized. They were sort of left up to the students to decide when to go and its too hard to coordinate with 70 kids. I wish that there was a specific time and place and students either went or didn't.
  • The food wasn't great. The kitchen at the hostel was HECTIC. 70 kids were sharing 3 fridges and it felt like a war to cook in the kitchen
  • I wish the program promoted traveling to near by cities more.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You WILL be able to call yourself a consultant at the end of this program!

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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Management Consulting
Course Department: iX summer program
Instructor: Professor Nuno Pedro
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I participated in the 6 week management consulting program in Lisbon, Portugal. I absolutely loved it! It was tough, and I was definitely kept busy but I loved it. I learned more than I could have ever imagined!
Credit Transfer Issues: I don't think so! My school said I would receive credit!