Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Life in Moscow Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/08/2018 to 05/19/2018 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Moscow

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained an appreciation as well as newfound perspective into Russian society and Russian culture that simply would not have been possible without spending the time I did in the way that I did in Moscow. I also gained a great deal of confidence from my Russian language skills, as I was able to complete an internship and participate quite extensively in my classes.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 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? Yes

My only point of improvement would be the class selection, and the ability to differentiate from other students in the program. I often felt as though our classes were held back by students whose Russian was not as advanced, and though I understand that this is an inevitable part of any study abroad experience, as well as largely due to the small size of the program, it was frustrating at times.

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? ~$40 on average
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Specific to the school in Russia, I usually brought lunch from home and ate with my host family most of the time and found that I saved a lot of money but didn't lose out on experiences with friends + the city, I just didn't need to spend money on food to find those experiences

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? 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? Russian 311 at Middlebury
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? Frequent conversation practice, rigorous foundation in basic grammar, and a commitment to learning to speak/read/write the language as a native speaker would. Also, though it was not tempting for me, I did see other participants retreat into their english-language speaking bubble and that only served to hurt them in the long run.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
  • Other
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?
  • Grammar class + internship opportunity
  • Language pledge + our professors
  • Daily life in Moscow + my host family
* What could be improved?
  • Class selection
  • Levels of language study within the program not just for grammar classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I did not need to be nearly as worried as I was about my Russian language skills, as the improvement in my Russian and my subsequent ability to communicate extensively with the world around me in Moscow was the biggest highlight of my time there.

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:

Socio-Political Discourse in Contemporary Russia
Course Department: Faculty for Foreign Students
Instructor: Iza Savenkova
Instruction Language: Russian
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Grammar
Course Department: Faculty for International Students
Instructor: Goncharova
Instruction Language: Russian
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

History of Imperial Russia
Course Department: Faculty for Foreign Students/Middlebury
Instructor: Sergei Leonidovich
Instruction Language: Russian
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Internship in Russian @ Cushman & Wakefield
Course Department: N/A
Instructor: Tatiana Divina (supervisor)
Instruction Language: Russian
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues: