Evaluation

This form is for the use of students planning to study abroad. Returning students are asked to keep this in mind
as they complete the form, and readers are asked to remember that this is only one person's view of a program.

WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES EVALUATION OF STUDY ABROAD
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Applicant's name (ex. Smith, Marvin J.):			Wesbox:
Campus telephone:			Email address:
Class (current):	FR  SO  JU  SE		Major:
City in which you studied:			Country in which you studied:
University and/or program:			Date of study abroad:
PREPARATION FOR STUDY ABROAD
1. How did you first find out about your program?
2. Why did you select this program over other options?
3. Which of the following resources did you use in deciding to study abroad and in selecting your program? (Check all that apply.)
Program brochures and/or website Program representative Study abroad fair Evaluations of returned study-abroad participants OIS staff OIS peer advisors Advice of faculty Advice of friends or family Other (please specify)     Comments?
4. What recommendations do you have for students considering studying abroad?
5. Were you pleased with your choice of program- and if so, because of its location, the program itself, or both? Please comment.
6. Did the program/university send you adequate information before your departure about important details of living overseas (visas, banking, housing, health, cost of living)?
Yes No Please Comment.
7. Was there an on-site orientation session?
Yes No Please Comment.
8. What else did you do to prepare for your time abroad? (Check all that apply.)
Took courses about the country, or courses that let me research the country Studied the language of the country Spoke with returned participants Spoke with faculty who study the host country Spoke with citizens or residents of the host country Read newspapers, books, or magazines from the host country Watched films from or about the host country Read tour books Read safety data (US Dept. of State, CDC, etc.) Researched the country independently Nothing Other (please specify)     Advice for those preparing to study abroad?
ACADEMICS
1. Who were your professors and classmates (Americans, locals)? Did you study in a university environment or elsewhere?
2. Comment on your academic experience, including specific information on assessment, teaching mode, and whether the program met your expectations.
3. How did you register for courses? Did you have access to the courses you wanted to take?
4. How many courses did you take?
5. List any particularly good courses, specifying whether they are program- or university- based.
6. How was your work evaluated? (Check all that apply.)
Final examinations Final papers Quizzes, tests, and/or midterms Essays or other written work Individual presentations Group work or presentations Class participation Independent research project report Other (please specify)
7. In comparison with Wesleyan, how would you evaluate the program's:
Excellent  Good  Fair  Poor  Quality of instruction  Course content  Intellectual challenge  Intellectual caliber of fellow students  Library facilities
8. What majors are best served on this program? Are there any majors that you think are poorly served?
9. Comment on any unique academic features of the program (including internships or independent study arrangements).
10. Do you anticipate using the work you did abroad as a significant part of your work at Wesleyan (including senior thesis or essay, senior project, etc.)? If so, how?
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
1. What were your living arrangements, and how satisfactory were they? Do you have any advice for future participants?
2. If this program was run in another language or included language study, did your foreign language competence increase as much as you hoped? Why or why not?
3. Describe the extent and nature of your interaction with local. How effective was the program in helping facilitate your involvement with local people and culture?
4. Did you participate in any of the following activities? (Check all that apply.)
Athletic team or sports Community or religious groups Cultural activities (musical groups, classes in cooking, dance, or local crafts, etc.) Local or student organizations Volunteer activities Other (please specify)     Please comment.
5. What was the biggest challenge you faced in adjusting to the host culture? If you have suggestions for future participants in this regard, please comment.
6. What advice do you have about travel within your host city?
7. What advice do you have about travel further afield, in your host country or neighboring countries?
8. Were there specific issues of religion, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, politics, or other differences in cultural attitudes that made your adjustment more difficult?
9. What do you wish you had known beforehand about non-academic aspects of this program (in relation to housing, costs, travel, health and safety, cultural exchange, etc.)?
10. Do you have any special suggestions for students considering this program?
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
1. Was this program honestly advertised? If not, how was it misrepresented?
2. Did you feel the program was well-managed?
Yes No Please Comment.
3. Were you able to get assistance from program staff as needed?
Yes No Please Comment.
FINANCES
1. Beyond program costs, how much money did you need (in $) and what did you need it for? Was this what you expected? Specific advice about amounts to budget for travel and survival over breaks would be especially appreciated.
2. How did you access funds while you were abroad? (Check all that apply.)
I used an ATM, and paid higher ATM costs than I would at Wesleyan I used an ATM, and paid the same ATM costs as I would at Wesleyan (or lower)   If so, please name the bank that issues the ATM card   I opened a local bank account I brought traveler's cheques and cashed them as needed Other (please describe)
3. What advice do you have for students about finances while abroad?
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
1. What was the best part of your experience abroad?
2.. What was the most difficult part of your experience abroad?
3. Would you recommend this program to another student?
Yes No With Reservations (Please explain.)
4. How would you plan and prepare differently for study abroad if you were to do it again?
5. What do you wish you had known before you left that no one told you?
INFORMATION JUST FOR OUR OFFICE
1. Do you feel that this program is appropriate for our list of approved programs, or (if it’s on the list already) should we reconsider?
2. Could Wesleyan have been more helpful in providing information or advice about international study? If so, how?
3. Did you participate in Wesleyan’s pre-departure orientation?
Yes No
If so, what was most helpful about it?
What would you suggest we add or change to improve the orientation?
4. What has been the most difficult part of readjusting to the U.S. and/or Wesleyan? How might Wesleyan be of assistance in this area?
5. If you took language or content courses in another language while abroad, do you plan to continue taking courses or do independent study in that language back at Wesleyan? Why or why not?
6. Do you intend to take courses at Wesleyan on the region or country in which you studied abroad? Why or why not?
7. I would you be interested in helping the OIS and future study abroad participants by (check all that apply):
Adding my name to the returnees’ contact list Assisting with the fall study abroad fair Organizing a student-run event about an aspect of study abroad (research presentations, photo exhibit, food fair, concert, discussion group, etc.) Participating in a panel discussion about my program or region of study Participating in a panel discussion about study abroad in general Participating in a panel discussion about re-entry following study abroad Participating in a study-abroad panel discussion for prospective Wesleyan students, parents, or alumni Speaking one-on-one with students interested in my program Working at the Office of International Studies (work-study students only) Other (please specify)
8. Other comments or suggestions that might help us do our job better?