An Fantastical Educational Escape Past Review

By (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., St. Cloud State University) - abroad from 01/04/2012 to 04/23/2012 with

St. Cloud State University: Alnwick - St. Cloud in England

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was worth every bit - I think I learned a lot about myself and the world and people and just... the whole of humanity and interactions

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

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND FULL OF SO MUCH CULTURE AND HISTORY!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had the greatest host parents ever

* Food:

Could have been not so repetitive sometimes but they really tried

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt I was taught quite a bit so it was easier to slip in

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

They took care of us really well!

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)

It got difficult but I managed

* 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? When not travelling and just doing standard things about 100 dollars a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy as much as you can discounted, don't buy things unless you absolutely need it, buy groceries not fast food all the time, maybe split the cost of things

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

Rating this on the slang

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Fluent
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? NA
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Host Family
  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • Location
  • Lesson Content
  • Culture
* What could be improved?
  • I honestly have no idea! :D
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? A lot more cultural differences than I expected