The Ultimate Character Building Experience & An Absolute Must-Do Past Review

By (Business & Economics, Skidmore College) - abroad from 06/04/2006 to 08/20/2006 with

Sea|mester: S/Y Argo - Global Voyages

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes, absolutely worthwhile. I think it has made me a significantly better human being with global awareness & consciousness for the impact of my actions on the wider world.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: NYU; Florida Keys Community College (Accreditor of Seamester)
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The intensity arises from the vast amount of activities onboard & because you are in such an amazing environment, one has to apply self-control and focus on prioritizing studying at times over other activities or socializing. The work does not feel rigorous, but that is mostly because learning is done in a team environment & through hands-on activities. While it didn't feel particularly rigorous, I remember more from classes taught in this way than any other because I was able to see the concepts play out through real-life experiments, rather than simply through book description.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Very professional & helpful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved living aboard a sailboat & the accompanying minimal lifestyle! I felt that it really taught me to prioritize needs & eliminate excess, which is a valuable skill in everyday life.

* Food:

Well, what can you say? You're on a sailboat, in a foreign country without access to fresh or familiar foods--one must be open-minded & flexible.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was fantastic to travel to different countries & different areas within those countries. Often times, we traveled to remote areas where foreigners often did not venture. Those were some of the best experiences & ones through which you could really experience the culture fully.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

You do need vaccines. The onboard staff are certified to carry out first aid, including sutures; however, the preference is to use local doctors when available. Staff take all precautions to eliminate the need for healthcare.

* Safety:

Safety is the top priority of staff & they take extreme precautions to ensure safety of everyone on board & while ashore. Mostly, you are always with the group, and I never felt 'unsafe' at any point.

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)

Everything was included for the most part.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Approx. $50/wk

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Sailing, the people I met onboard, the hands-on learning
* What could be improved?
  • Nothing! It was all very well thought out, although I'm sure many would say that the cost could be improved, but I found it to be an invaluable experience at any price.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Nothing--if anything, I wish I had known about it earlier in my college days to be able to do it for a full Semester, rather than just a summer.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Oceanography

Course Department:
Instructor: Chantelle
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was fantastic! & astonishingly, I apply the concepts everyday, despite living quite far from an ocean. But Oceanography teaches you so much more--understanding the topography of an area, the challenges for its inhabitants, and the overall weather patterns & forces that influence everyday life, such as the direction of flow within a toilet. The best part about the course were the experiments conducted on board or onshore, including scuba diving excursions. You could experience the concepts first hand & that surely made it easy to remember all of the complexities to an issue for the exam.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.