from sea to shining sea Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/28/2017 to 12/22/2017 with

Williams College: Mystic - Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
how coastal communities around the country adapt and thrive through the ocean and how they will be facing greater challenges in the future

Review Photos

Williams College: Mystic - Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program Photo

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.

seminar classes when on the road at various field locations were interesting and intensive, some disciplines were less intellectually stimulating than others

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Amazing faculty and staff; extremely personable and fun

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was in a great living arrangement on campus; however, felt that the smallest room in the house was the one I shared with a roommate--though the house was a good size the bedroom was very small

* Food:

great value for stipend, allowed us to purchase own food

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was in the united states in mystic CT so the culture was not too different from my NY home; the downtown was very touristy but the local areas outside downtown were great to visit and explore

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

There was only one instance when I felt uncomfortable: when we had to share a hostel bedroom with a (male) stranger

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

It was the perfect interdisciplinary nature for me

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? only about $10 from pocket-- ~$65 per person was provided for food
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? collaborate with other houses to buy in bulk and save money

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* 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?
  • Sailing the US Brig Niagara
  • Visiting the Redwood Forest
  • Making Friends
* What could be improved?
  • Scheduling to balance workload better and prevent heavy stress at the semester's end
  • make it a year long program
  • presentation based literature classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That the research projects would all be due very close to one another at semesters end: need to begin early

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.