Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The best experience of my life! Past Review

By (Environmental Science And Policy, Stephen F. Austin State University) - abroad from 06/03/2014 to 07/02/2014 with

Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA): Traveling in Central Europe - American Government - Theory

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to travel by myself internationally, and also if I were to be stuck in another country by myself I would feel comfortable enough being able to navigate through it. The trip was definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Amazing experience. By far the best time I have had in my life. It was hard to leave Europe.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

A lot better than I expected it to be. It was a very nice place with a great location.

* Food:

Amazing! We ate so many times a day because the food was too good to pass up, but we were walking everywhere so it evened out.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We made friends with the Slovak students so we got to experience how they live. It did not feel much different from my life back in America.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I was surprised how safe I felt. We did not experience any issues with stealing and no one was harmed.

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)

I did not worry much about budget. I knew I would look back and regret it if I did. It's not that often you get the chance to go to Europe with friends.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 300 euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you want to save money don't eat at fancy restaurants. Eat stand food because it actually tastes better, you get more food, and it's cheap.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* 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?
  • Traveling all over Europe
  • Meeting new friends
  • Food
* What could be improved?
  • More local students taking the class
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I did a little more research on events and cool places to where we traveled to that way we did not waste time planning what we wanted to do that day.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Avid Adventurer
The 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.