Life-changing and challenging Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/17/2019 to 12/16/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Moscow

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I loved forming relationships with Russian people and speaking the language

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

very unorganized, the visa process once inside of Russia was a nightmare

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had to switch host families, but afterwards my host mother was wonderful

* 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:

I felt relatively safe, but it was important that I stay alert

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Russian culture was amazing and it is so important to immerse yourself with the people to fully understand.

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)

Moscow was cheap

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $40 give or take

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? 300
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Speak and read and watch in the target language as much as possible

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
  • Americans
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?
  • My host family
  • the city of Moscow
* What could be improved?
  • The multi-entry visa process
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had prepared more trips inside of Russia

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:

Language of modern society

Course Department: russian
Instructor: Evgeniya Dudina
Instruction Language: russian
Comments: I loved this course - perfectly assessed in order to retain vocabulary and new concepts
Credit Transfer Issues: