Semester in the Capitol of Europe Past Review
By Jackson W (Political Science and Government., University of Maine at Orono) for
Vesalius College: Brussels - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained work experience, travel experience, made a ton of great friends, and grew as a person tremendously. I have already received several jobs as a result and I have an interest in working abroad in the future. My experience abroad was one of the highlights of my college career and it will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Challenging to manage the classes with daily life abroad, but overall they were beneficial and educational. I enjoyed some of the professors a lot, but others were lacking in their quality. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The only weakness was that the resident director was always very busy and could have greatly benefitted from having an assistant during the first few weeks of the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I arranged housing through ISA. The distance of the house to the campus was very far, but the family was excellent and the neighborhood was relatively nice. |
| * Food: |
Dietary needs were met but often the availability and quality of food was less than what I was used to at home. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Many memorable cultural events such as the "No-Car Day" which was a day in which cars were not allowed to drive within the city, and the Belgian Beer festival in downtown Brussels. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Safety and healthcare were taken very seriously and I never had an issue with either. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent around 150 euros on food and personal expenses each week, including transportation, cell phone, nights out, activities(museums) and snacks. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | It's very easy to spend a lot of money. ATM fees were very high, I spent hundreds of dollars on them. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 202 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced French with my host family. I did use the language on a daily basis with interactions around the city. Some people spoke english but certainly not most. |
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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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? | Someone interested in travel around europe, politics, and french. |
