A Semester in Luxury Past Review

By (Trinity University) - abroad from 01/01/2016 to 04/21/2016 with

Syracuse University: Strasbourg - Syracuse University in Strasbourg

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained some friends and experiences. It was worthwhile as a sort of prolonged vacation.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This is directly attributed to the fact that I studied in a country where I didn't speak the language.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was fortunate to have good health while abroad, so my answer is based on an assumption.

* Safety:

Mind your own business.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

This is a difficult question to answer because it was fun, but I'm answering the question from a retrospective point of view. In retrospect, I didn't know why I wanted to study abroad and that didn't matter. The Syracuse program catered to my needs by providing Political Science classes in English. I won't detail why it was fun, but overall it was. That's the description that seems the most honest. I answer no because if I were to go back I would want it to be more educational and "life enriching". I don't know, it was fun.

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)

Spending money abroad is a slippery slope.

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* 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?
  • My host family
  • The friends I made
  • The experiences
* What could be improved?
  • n/a
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I'd known how worthwhile it is to spend time sitting down and thinking about what it means to want to spend a semester abroad and away from your university.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.