Incredible program for learning Russian

This study abroad program exceeded all expectations I had for it, and words cannot describe how much I learned from and enjoyed my time living in Daugavpils. I took half of my classes on the Russian language and the other half on a mix of political science and history topics. The professors were all extraordinarily knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and eager to teach me. There were an enormous range of courses to choose from, which allowed me to design my program specifically to fit my personal goals. The living situation was ideal for learning Russian. I had an amazing host mom and brother, who made me feel at home from day one. My host mom was incredibly kind and caring, cooked delicious meals, and was always there to help me out or give me advice. Almost every day after dinner, we would sit, drink tea, and chat for about an hour - which was almost as valuable as my formal classes for getting me comfortable conversing in Russian. And if I finished my homework for the night, my host brother would always be eager to play hide and seek, watch a cartoon, or show me his enormous collection of toys and gadgets.

The excursions were also an incredibly valuable part of this program. We traveled all over the Baltics and even to Minsk, Belarus, learning about and experiencing each countries history and culture. The location of Daugavpils was also ideal for traveling on the weekends. Cheap buses and trains left straight for Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Warsaw, and other major cities. But it was often tempting to just stay in Daugavpils and organize a trip to our private banya (we must have gone 12 times in the fall semester), volunteer to take dogs for walks at the animal shelter, or just гулять with friends around the city.

I have no complaints about this program and would recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their Russian and have a blast while doing so