An amazing Asia experience! Past Review

By (Marketing And Management, Villanova University) - abroad from 01/11/2013 to 05/04/2013 with

Villanova University: London or Singapore - Global Citizens Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I absolutely loved my experience in Singapore. It was honestly the best decision I made coming into College. I learned so much about the Asian culture and what it is like to live on the other side of the world. The traveling that we were able to do was incredible to Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia. Being able to work in Singapore is a great thing in itself because they are a huge business hub. I couldn't imagine traveling anywhere else. Singapore has so much to offer from everyday activities, to the beaches, to the easy traveling and more. Even though it was on the other side of the world, I did not feel that I was that far from home because Singapore is a lot like the US but at the same time, still a lot different. It was completely worthwhile and I cannot wait to go back to Southeast Asia!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The amount of material we had to do was extremely intense. We stayed in multiple weekends to do the work unfortunately. We also had basically 6 weeks of classes which is very intense for a whole semester which made me really frustrated.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I appreciated Shannah and all of her help. The company was nice at planning things but I felt that we could have done a bit more with networking and planned trips.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We thought it was going to be a lot better than what it was. It was manageable but a bit gross at times. 6 girls had to share a shower which was a struggle.

* Food:

Food was great and cheap - no complaints!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We hardly got to meet that many people because we never were intermixed. It was hard to do so unless it was set up.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Whenever people needed to go to the doctor they were always satisfied!

* Safety:

It is the safest place in the world I believe! I never felt threatened EVER.

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)

It was so low cost which was fantastic! The food, travel and transportation was cheap which was great.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100 or so a week?

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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?
  • Traveling
  • Internship
  • Local adventures
* What could be improved?
  • Communication between us and Villanova
  • Housing
  • Being updated in case laws change
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew more about the surrounding countries before I went on the program. I also wish I knew more about the transportation. I wish I knew more about what we had to do for our internship project and also, more about what the government was like.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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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.