Vietnam - the new Thailand Past Review
By Marissa K (communication, San Diego State University) for
Study Abroad Programs in Vietnam
I am more patient knowing that everyone has different backgrounds and beliefs. I also am more comfortable meeting new people because travelling really helped me to become more outgoing.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The Professors were very understanding and had a lot of interesting facts about what they taught. They were very knowledgable and I learned a lot from their different perspectives. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The IEM Staff was always available to me if I ever needed them, they even stopped by a few times to make sure everything was ok. I didn't have to worry about figuring things out all by myself. They helped me with classes, transportation and places to go. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The house I lived in was small but clean. I miss my host family so much! They were very sweet and treated me like one of their own children. It really helped me understand the Vietnamese culture to live with a host family. |
| * Food: |
You can get a lot of really good food for so cheap. I loved eating out at all the different little shops and restuaraunts they had. The food in Vietnam was DELICIOUS!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Visiting all the scenic places in Vietnam was unforgettable. It is a very lush country with diverse natural settings that are so beautiful. Also, seeing how kind everyone was made my experience so special. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I did not get sick while I was abroad. I was safe about what I ate and drank for the first few weeks. I felt pretty safe except I knew it was not ok to walk by myself at night as a tourist, but this is typical in almost all countries. |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
My program did not include a language component |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | It may sound really unique and out there to go to Vietnam, but having a whole new cultural experience is so much more rewarding. |
