A really fruitful and growth-inducing experience January 09, 2024

By A student (History, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/01/2023 to 05/25/2023 with

SIT Study Abroad Nepal: Development, Gender, and Social Change in the Himalaya

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Yes, it was worthwhile! I am super happy that I can speak in Nepali now. I also gained completely new perspectives on being an American in a foreign country, the drawbacks of development aid efforts, INGOs, etc.

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.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes My favorite part about this program were the teachers and the language component. Both were super awesome. It was really cool to slowly be able to start communicating with my host family in Nepali as I learned more and more.

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)	Very cheap compared to many other countries that students study abroad in
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	75 USD
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Save some money for the end of the trip to buy gifts for friends and family!

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	We spoke only in Nepali with our host families
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
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	None
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Study with flashcards and speak with as many people as you can, especially your host family

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?	teachers language my host family
* What could be improved?	There could be more guidance given for the independent research aspect of the trip
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I knew what my daily schedule would have looked like - what time I had to be home for dinner with my host family and stuff like that.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Field Methods and Ethics
Course Department:	Unknown
Instructor:	Trilochan and guest teachers
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class made me feel super prepared to go do field work at the end of the program. We overviewed all types of research methods and the ethics and positionality involved with doing research in a foreign country. We had some super interesting and helpful guest speakers.
Credit Transfer Issues:	NA

Course Name/Rating:	Nepal History Culture and Politics
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Trilochan and guest teachers
Instruction Language:	Mostly English
Comments:	We had a super wide variety of guest lecturers which was cool, and we often traveled to different NGOs, INGOs, or local businesses to complete part of our lesson. Some of the information from the guest lecturers overlapped, but other than that it was a super helpful course. I participated equally to how I would at home. We were assessed through essays throughout the semester.
Credit Transfer Issues:	NA

Course Name/Rating:	Nepali Language
Course Department:	Language
Instructor:	Chandra, Lachsmi, Sanjib
Instruction Language:	Nepali
Comments:	This was an intensive language class. We met for three hours a day in groups of three students and one teacher. In class, we learned the language but also spoke and practiced our dialogue. We also learned to write and read in Devanagari. We were assessed throughout with quizzes and at the end with a formal language assessment.
Credit Transfer Issues:	NA