Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Geology is great Past Review

By (Geology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/18/2013 to 07/06/2013 with

University of Lausanne: Lausanne - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot of geology and got to live in a foreign country. It was worthwhile

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

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?

There is a large housing shortage in Lausanne, so housing was every man for himself. The school provided students with links to the local versions of Craigslist, but many renters were unwilling to rent to foreigners.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The other geology students were very, very welcoming and completely accepted me into their group.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Shop at Denner or any grocery stores late in the day. Half an hour before closing, they mark down fresh food up to 75%.

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

All classes were in French.

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? high-level elective
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Talk a lot, to as many people as you can.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • Friendly students
  • exciting classes
  • field camp
* What could be improved?
  • Housing
  • Housing
  • Food prices
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Housing will be hard to find.

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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Geologie Structurale - Camp (BSc)
Course Department: Geology
Instructor: Jean-Luc Epard
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This week-long field course was very helpful for reinforcing field methods in studying local examples of structural deformation. Our field notes were collected at the end and they used them to assess us.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

Stratigraphie - Camp
Course Department: Geology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The quality of instruction in the stratigraphy field camp was unparalleled. The high instructor to participant ratio (5:8) and good field locations (northern Spain) meant that the students learned a lot in this course.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

Petrologie -- Camp
Course Department: Geology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This course was an exceptional amount of work. For the length of the course, we spent the day doing field work (from 8-6) and then had a lengthy dinner, followed by more in-class homework from 9 until midnight. The amount learned though was a lot
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

Hyrogeologie Generale
Course Department: Geology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The professor in this course did not really have much interest in teaching it. He was retiring and therefore saw it more as a networking opportunity for us than a learning opportunity. He chose to give all students the same grade, unless we offered to do extra-credit to improve it.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Topographie d'Exploration
Course Department: Geology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This field methods course was somewhat tedious at times, but it gives students good exposure to various geophysical surveying equipment (theodolite, transit, GPS, differential GPS, etc).
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

Hydrochimie et Pollution de l'Environnement
Course Department: Geology
Instructor: Hans-Rudolf Pfeiffer
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This course was very well-taught. Pfeiffer is an experienced professor who knows the course material very well, but his delivery is very dry. Evaluations were based on weekly homework and a final group project turned in at the very end.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

Geologie Structurale - TP
Course Department: Geology
Instructor: Jean-Luc Epard
Instruction Language: French
Comments: The professor for this course was unfortunately double-booked at the time during which this class met, so it was taught by a TA. Luckily, this was only the lab-based component of the course, so it worked just fine. We had one final exam for this course, an 8-hour practical exam, involving cartography and lab components.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

Geologie Regionale
Course Department: Geology
Instructor: Henri Masson
Instruction Language: French
Comments: This large, lecture-based course took a highly-organized overview of the local bedrock geology in the Southern Swiss Alps. The professor lectured well, though it was tiring to follow along for 3 hours. The exam was a single 15-min oral exam at the end of the semester.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A