Skimming India's Surface, But Well Past Review
By A student (Sociocultural Anthropology, Brigham Young University) - abroad from 05/16/2012 to 08/15/2012 with
Brigham Young University: Traveling - India Study Abroad
It was extremely worthwhile. After all, I learned the necessity of learning the language beforehand. I learned all of the problems that can arise during cultural research. I also, of course, learned so much about Indian culture that it baffled me to come home; America seemed so strange. It was as immersive as it could have been, speaking English.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Very lax, educationally. I learned a lot, but mostly in non-academic settings, both outside the classes and my research. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very smooth. Dr. Krishnayya knows what he's doing, and I felt like I was in good hands there. Dr. Nuckolls was accessible by email and Skype, and he offered good suggestions and advice. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I have no complaints about the housing, which was spacious, comfortable, and did not alienate me from local life. |
| * Food: |
The cooks did a very good job. At times, I would have liked more variety, but I generally enjoyed it. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
While we "went out" often for research, trips, and vacationing, the inability to speak Telugu is a huge barrier. The classes do not teach Telugu, but rather teach a few Telugu words and poems, making it impossible to communicate with almost everyone around at any sort of depth. Integration would require intensive Telugu training beforehand, thereby making the experience a true language-learning one. As it was, the only people I could really talk to were fellow students and Dr. Krishnayya, the translators to a lesser extent. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Again, I felt in good hands. Sometimes the doctor did not seem aware of the dangers certain drugs posed, or what symptoms they treat (he prescribed the equivalent of "Pepsid AC" to treat violent diarrhea, which would have aggravated the problem, but I caught the mistake), so I recommend that students consult the WHO or Medline website for treatment details in addition to the doctor's recommendations. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe after I settled into the culture. I know the women in the program faced some harassment, though, which should probably be addressed with training beforehand. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
I struggle to explain this. On the one hand, I could have lived the summer with virtually no out-of-pocket expenses, but the two-week vacation turned out to be pretty prohibitive. While that is somewhat my fault for not budgeting more carefully, I do wonder if two weeks is truly necessary. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $15 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Stay local for the vacation. Go to Araku Valley or something. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
There was some token encouragement to speak Telugu. |
| 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? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | FLANG 202 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Skip the classes and instead use the "Intensive Course in Telugu" textbooks the teacher lent a previous student. Then try talking with the translators and Dr. Krishnayya. The classes do not teach Telugu. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew how vital Telugu would have been. I would have chosen a program where I can speak, even just a little, with the people I researched. Translators simply do not work for cultural research, and there is no getting around that. |
