Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A blast that went way too fast! Past Review

By (Psychology/Spanish, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 12/27/2015 to 01/16/2016 with

UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained experiences of being on my own and living with complete strangers. I improved my Spanish speaking skills, I realized there is so much out there to see.

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.

* 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?

* 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

I loved the size of the program, I got to know every student that I was with very well. Also I got to know the faculty really well too.

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? $150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? SAVE SAVE SAVE

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? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Spanish 321
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? review the tenses before you leave and know every day vocabulary

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* 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?
  • Country I was in
  • Type of class-interactive, never in the classroom for longer than 20 min
* What could be improved?
  • Length--maybe 4 weeks over J-term
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew before that the time will go by very quickly and you should save up a lot of money for your expenses.

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.