Oh my India - I love India! Past Review
By Jessica B (Bachelor in Civil Engineering, University of Hartford) for
IFSA/Alliance: Pune - Contemporary India
It was great - between the classes, cultural expression, and internship components, the program is well run.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Some of the classes were repetitive. The grading system was similar, and the work load was manageable. It was overall very similar to classes in the US because the classes were designed for Americans. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was arranged for us through the program. All items were provided, except for towels, and we were treated like a part of the family. Our host mom definitely took us under her wing for the semester. |
| * Food: |
India is known for its food - every where you turn there are restaurants. Host parents will always try to over feed you, so be careful and set boundaries early on. For lunch, all the restaurants on F.C. Road are delicious and easily accessible between classes. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program sets you up with cultural classes - you chose between things like dance, singing, playing instruments, painting, cooking, etc and the program pays for 15 classes. I took violin and it was very enjoyable and worthwhile. The program also took us on a few field trips, all of which were great. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Health was the number one priority of our staff. If we mentioned feeling ill at all, we were constantly being checked up on. The program would arrange doctor visits to a trusted physician. Safety wasn't a concern of mine in Pune - if you follow the curfew and stay in groups, there's nothing to worry about. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about $200 per month on food and personal expenses, though that was with frivolous spending. One could easily live on much less. Each lunch could easily cost max of $3, if eating "normal" Indian food. Rickshaws depend on where you're going, but probably another $5/day on rickshaws would be easily attainable. The majority of money in India is spent on shopping. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Everything is cheap, but when you buy everything, it adds up to a lot! Be smart and budget yourself. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most people spoke English, though the main languages of the region are Marathi and Hindi. There were courses available for both Marathi and English and you could practice throughout the day on locals - in stores, rickshaws, etc. Still, if you only know English, you can easily get around. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Academic students would benefit most from this program. All classes are mandatory, leaving only short weekends and travel week to travel around the country. Expect a lot of academic work, not a stereotypical program which provides more time for travel than actually *studying* abroad. |
