Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Driving in a jeep through the open steppe. Freedom. Past Review

By (Geography and Cartography., Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/24/2014 to 06/08/2014 with

SIT Study Abroad Mongolia and Siberia: Nomadism, Geopolitics, and the Environment

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that I want to live more closely with the land. It was definitely worthwhile and I hope to return.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Courses were interesting and challenging.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

SIT Mongolia staff are incredible.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host families were both wonderful and it helped to integrate into the culture.

* Food:

Mongolian food is difficult to get used to. The food provided by the program was fantastic, but eating with host families, especially in the countryside, was more challenging.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Healthcare in Mongolia is not good outside Ulaanbaatar, but the SIT staff did a fantastic job informing us of our healthcare options and making us safe. Vaccines were not needed.

* Safety:

Ulaanbaatar has a few prevalent urban dangers, such as crazy traffic and drunk people. The countryside is much friendlier, but access to healthcare is far away. I felt relatively safe in Mongolia, however, compared to other places abroad.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Little to none.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* 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?
  • The staff
  • The homestays
  • The excursions
* What could be improved?
  • Too much time in Ulaanbaatar
  • Too much coursework - not enough time to explore
  • More freedom before the ISP
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Bring more nice clothes - Mongolians dress very nicely.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Geopolitics and Development Trends
Course Department: Geography
Instructor: Various Lectures
Instruction Language: English or translated Mongolian
Comments: It was a really thorough course taught by various people, such as members of parliament and experts in national security. We were assessed through participation, student led discussions, and papers. Field trips were absolutely essential to the course and I would have liked more excursions
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Pastoralism and Natural Resource Management
Course Department: Geography
Instructor: Various Lectures
Instruction Language: English or Translated Mongolian
Comments: This course was less comprehensive than the other ones, but the nomadic homestay was a crucial part of it. We were assessed through participation and papers. A lo of the learning was very hands-on, which was fantastic. I learned about pastoralism by waking up in the morning and herding animals alongside the Mongolian family I lived with.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Mongolian Language
Course Department:
Instructor: Gamba Bagsh and Toll Bagsh
Instruction Language: English and Mongolian
Comments: Both professors were very good. Having only 4 students in a language class was a positive experience. We were assessed through exams and quizzes as well as our use of the language outside of class.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Fieldwork and Research Methods and Ethics
Course Department:
Instructor: Ulzii Bagsh and various instructors
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I felt very prepared to conduct my independent research project. We were assessed through journaling and various projects such as interviews.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Independent Study Project
Course Department:
Instructor: N/A
Instruction Language: N/A
Comments: This was by far the best part of the semester. I learned to conduct independent research and became very confident in my ability to do so. I also enjoyed the independence as well as working with a fantastic research advisor. We were assessed with a long paper which we turned in at the end, as well as a presentation and a fieldwork journal.
Credit Transfer Issues: