Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

It was okay, but there is a first time for everything. Past Review

By (Norfolk State University) - abroad from 01/20/2017 to 05/31/2017 with

University of Nicosia - Global Semesters: Nicosia - Semester in Cyprus

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a lover but other than that I feel this experience was a waste of time overall. I feel that I could have been more productive at home.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I attended The University of Nicosia during my study abroad experience. I have had some great teachers and some very bad teachers. The tutoring services at The University of Nicosia is a joke. I was the first student to sign up for tutoring services and I did not recieve a tutor for a very long time. When I finally recieved a tutor she wouldn't show up for appointments and I did not hear back from her for a long period of time. Overall, my educational experience with University of Nicosia was not good.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Food was not covered with our progran

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Not at all, the greeks are keep to themselves.

* 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? No

The global semesters program is a cool program. The staff are really great, but I just think Cyprus was not a good country of choice.

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? I had some friends buy my groceries so I could not really recall
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I would advise future students to shop at the farmers market downtown for produce.

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? None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Beginner
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? Take a greek course at the University of Nicosia.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Food is not covered
  • Expensive
* What could be improved?
  • Food arrangements
  • Cost
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that most classes in my major were offered in Greek! I also wish I knew that Cyprus is a really laid back country and that the greeks stay to themselves. I wish I would have done more research before traveling to the country.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

MATH -180 Algerbra and Trigonometry
Course Department: Math, Sciences and Engineering
Instructor: George Gregoriou
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Dr . Gregoriou is a very knowledgeable instructor, however he does not do a good job of teaching the material. He would rush through the material each time we had class and would not allow for much time to answer questions. He acted as if we should already know the material and would get slightly irritated from students asking questions. He would allow students to come to his office during his office hours to answer questions but even then he would show students how to do the problems very quickly without explaining as if he was in a rush. He also forced his students to make for days that HE miss classes for, he make us come in for study week and he made us stay late one day while we waited on him during class for a hour and a half for a meeting he had to attend .I do not put all of the blame on Dr. Gregoriou for his behavior, I blame the school as well. Our class was only once a week for three hours. The semester is already short with two weeks of spring break, one week off for study week, and other days that students have off, so of course he had to rush through the material to get through the syllabus. Dr. Gregoriou is the head of the department so there is nobody I could have conplained to and I believe he used his title to his advantage.
Credit Transfer Issues: