Challenging, but Rewarding! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The in-class learning really supplemented the experiential learning of going abroad. I had some amazing professors that really made the academic experience wonderful, while others were a little lackluster, truly depending on the courses selected.

On-site administration of your program

The staff tried their best to accommodate all of the students, which is no small feat in India where planning ahead is a little uncommon. A little more checking-up on the students could have been done, but the program emphasizes students to reach a certain level of independence in the country.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Living with a homestay was a little difficult at the beginning, as a sense of independence is lost and new house rules are enforced. Yet this aspect of the program was extremely rewarding- these strangers soon become family, and aid in whatever troubles or cultural misunderstandings that their students are having and truly care about the people they host. Also, sharing a room with an American on the program enriched the sense of community within the program, and helped with the logistics of traveling to school.

The food of Pune is wonderful and very different. Restaurants in Pune are a great way to explore the city and culture through the immense variety of dishes. Moreover, the streetfood is a necessary component to Indian cuisine as well. Although I missed salads on occasion, one could go to a Western (albeit, more expensive) place to provide that. Nevertheless, the American stomach has a little bit more trouble adjusting to the food, as expected.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Throughout my experience with the people of Pune, so many of them have gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable: my homestay, the program staff, the cultural expression teacher, Indian buddies, shopkeepers, and everyday street interactions. The program does a lot involving Indian Buddies and others to provide the opportunity to make this cultural immersion happen. While these were valiant efforts, the mere outright cultural differences between the U.S. and India are so much that it is very difficult to feel completely immersed. However, the more effort one puts in to connect with the people of Pune, the more one will succeed in feeling integrated.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Certain vaccines as well as Malaria pills were recommended for this trip. When someone became ill, the program assisted the student to the doctor for their first visit. The medicines are extremely inexpensive and seem to work fine. Of course the system is not as developed as the U.S., and ayurvedic medicine is something that many locals follow, which is much different from Western medicine, but Western healthcare is easily accessible.

For a woman, there are precautions in going to India, yet being smart about one's lifestyle in Pune truly makes a difference. The program implements a curfew (around 10pm) to offset danger, and encourages students to travel in groups, as well as providing several safety tips for daily living in the city. Traveling alone, especially at night, is an obvious risk. While the safety is a concern, I was able to travel alone for short periods of time during the day with confidence, and there are plenty of strangers willing to help.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

The currency exchange made it very affordable to live in Pune. The expenses of the students varied greatly, depending on the amount of stuff bought, the amount of places and distances traveled, and the frequency of going to Western hotels and restaurants (which had Western prices). Overall, extremely easy to afford living expenses with smart budgeting.

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

The program did not require Hindi, but did offer this as a course. The use of the language was the responsibility and choice of the student. Asking hostparents to only speak Hindi is an option, although a pretty rare choice of students. The local language is Marathi, not Hindi, which made everyday use of the language more difficult, although a fair number of people knew both.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Americans

• Hostfamily
• optional cultural expression course
• student independence with program support

• more travel time
• more check-in from program staff