CIEE St. Petersburg Summer 2015

The summer I spent in St. Petersburg was a life-changing experience. My goal was to achieve fluency with my language skills, but I received much more than that. My diving head first into all the events and opportunities CIEE provided I was exposed to all aspects of Russian culture and life in St. Petersburg. The coursework was engaging and the campus is gorgeous. The tours were well organized, interesting, and I always learned more than I expected. The staff were absolutley wonderful. More than anything, however, I learned from the young Russians I met during my time there. I made multiple lifelong friends through the program's events to help us students meet Russians our age. I would highly recommend the program to anyone looking for a new adventure and especially for those with a proficient level in Russian language. My advice for students going to St. Petersburg is to go on every tour, attend every event, and take advantage of your free time. Go explore with Russian friends, don't spend all your time with your classmates. That is how you will maximize your brief, but unforgettable time in the Venice of the north.