Vietnam is beautiful Past Review
By Dallin P (String Performance: Cello, Brigham Young University) - abroad from 05/07/2012 to 06/11/2012 with
Study Abroad Programs in Vietnam
Absolutely worthwhile. I gained a greater disdain for war, a greater respect for American and all its diversity. I learned the comfort of modest living.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I love my time there, but it wasn't exactly academically (musically) rigorous. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host family. They were so kind and took care of me so well. |
| * Food: |
The best tasting food ever. My host family fed me SO MUCH MEAT. I was pretty sick like a week in. They made me eat so much food in general and I'm just not a heavy eater. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt safer in Hanoi than I do in Dallas. Crossing the street isn't so bad once you get used to it. Just be careful around the Old Quarter and the French District for pick-pocketers. My friend got his wallet stolen there. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
They paid us for gigs although we told them not to :/ So it was pretty easy since everything is so cheep and friends kept paying for us! The only reason I ended up spending more money than I made while I was there was to buy a ton of souvenires. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $15 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make friends with host family and host family friends! Be careful with street food, but $1-1.50 is plenty for one meal. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
And I'm ok with that. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | I just had a vietnamese-english dictionary. Also I had the host family write down some vietnames phrases and I just would try to say them or point to them when talking to people. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I new the city beforehand, so that I didn't have to spend three weeks figuring things out before really enjoying it. |
