Semester in Siberia - a challenging but rewarding experience! Past Review
By A student (Brown University) - abroad from 09/01/2019 to 12/14/2019 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Irkutsk
My level of Russian grew an amazing amount - if you want to speak Russian at a high level Irkutsk is great because no one knows English. It was definitely a hard place to live due to the lower socio-economic level of most people, but an extremely worthwhile experience overall.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I would have appreciated living in a family or with other young people. I lived with a single grandmother and although she was nice it was not a particularly fun living experience. |
| * Food: |
Russian food was great! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All Russians in Irkutsk thought I was extremely weird so it was hard to integrate into the culture but this is not the program's fault. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The Russian health care system is terrible and I am lucky I never had to use it. Again, this was not the program's fault. |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
My program was great! |
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) |
Everything was inexpensive! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $40 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You don't need to try and save money because everything is already so cheap. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
This was the best thing about the program - we all signed a language pledge and so we only spoke Russian (even among the Americans) the entire time. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Third Year Russian |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Don't break the language pledge! |
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? |
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? | After the first month of immersion, your Russian will already be so much better so there is no need to freak out if the first few days are hard. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
