Rigorous immersion into the world of ecology research Past Review

By Ben H (Biology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/01/2014 to 12/13/2014 with

Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL): Woods Hole - Semester in Environmental Sciences

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

I cannot overstate the impact that this program has had and will continue to have on my career. I developed foundational skills that I will use in my career in ecology research, and I made several invaluable connections to prominent researchers that I am already approaching for future employment. I strongly recommend that this program receive more attention in the Middlebury Biology department, as it perfectly compliments a Middlebury education by providing resources, ecosystems, and educational settings that are not present here.

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.	This was by far the most intellectually rigorous semester in my college experience and gave me direct exposure to the world of ecology research that I would absolutely not find at Middlebury.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Stellar housing and food - far better than any housing I'll receive at Middlebury, unfortunately.
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	The program has ~20 students and we were a tight-knit, hard-working group.
* 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)	Food was provided; I had no substantial expenses except for beer.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	~$10

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students
* 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?	10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Independent research project Met many leading researchers Learned applicable research/lab skills
* What could be improved?	Extending to full-year program
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I now know that my passion is ecology research, and I intend to use this experience as the jumping-off point for my career.

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:	Core lecture/lab series
Course Department:	Core courses
Instructor:	Various MBL faculty
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This series of lectures and labs delved much more deeply into the central issues of ecology research than any course at Middlebury would have. Faculty gave lectures on topics in their field, and designed labs that reflected their own work.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No.

Course Name/Rating:	Mathematical Modeling
Course Department:	Elective
Instructor:	Edward Rastetter
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Phenomenal elective by a well-regarded and highly experienced faculty at MBL. The course introduced me to common ways to model ecological phenomena and ways to incorporate those models into field studies.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No.