Uppsala i mitt hjärta<3 Past Review
By alejandra v (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., San Jose State University) - abroad from 08/22/2011 to 06/15/2012 with
Uppsala University: Uppsala - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
How to be in charge and completely on my own and how easy it is to just travel. It was totally worth it and I can't wait to do it again.
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 communications program is very good and interesting but I found it too broad and sometimes barely related to my major, public relations. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They take great care of exchange students! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very nice! |
| * Food: |
Some foods were generally more expensive than the states but the nation were cheap to eat at and had great food |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
SUPER. But it does take a bit of work and self motivation to get involved in the student nations, meet Swedish people, step out of the English-only comfort zone |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
It wasn't easy figuring out which clinic or hospital to go to and as a non-Swedish citizen it cost around $900 USD upfront just to see a doctor and then wait for paperwork to get reimbursed by your insurance. Better off bringing a gallon of Nyquil |
| * Safety: |
Never felt threatened or in danger, even walking home at 3am. Obviously don't take your valuables to the club where they could get lost. |
| 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) |
Rent was cheap but groceries not as much but it can be manageable by eating and working at the student nations. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Work at the student nations! They feed you, sometimes pay you, and give you meal vouchers. |
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 |
They really encouraged us to speak Swedish but babied us a lot with English. Swedes know English and will immediately speak it to you if it's obvious you don't really speak it. |
| 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 in Swedish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Meet Swedes and work at the student nations |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | 10+ |
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? | Sweden is expensive compared to the USA |
