Memorable Experiences at SEA January 08, 2022

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 10/09/2021 to 12/23/2021 with

Sea Education Association: Caribbean Reef Expedition

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The students made it worthwhile. I would not ask for a better cohort.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

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?

In the absence of Covid-19, I wouldn’t have minded living in a triple. But the cottages on campus have limited space for housing students so I could not do anything about it at that point. In addition, at the time we were also sharing campus with another program (Oceans and Climate).

* Food:

It would be nice to have had chefs of color onboard the ship.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Due to Covid-19, we were unable to do any international port stops. I think that makes up a huge part of the experience abroad. However, staff were kind to have us explore locally where we were collecting our data.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The medical officers on board could have done a better job at being understanding with student’s health concerns.

* Safety:

Throughout the program, each staff and faculty member highly stressed safety and went over protocols thoroughly.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I am forever grateful for the experience and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I would not change.

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)

Besides food being covered for us during the shore component, there were several hidden costs in the program, including paying for all of our gear (snorkel, wetsuit, etc), flights to and from the destination, housing (which my school financial aid did not cover for), and in some cases, covid tests.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? <$100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Apply for some scholarships beforehand or ensure that you have atleast $1,000 of spending money to cover these miscellaneous costs.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
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?
  • People
  • Academic Support
  • Local stops
* What could be improved?
  • Communication
  • Food
  • Actively seeking student input
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Besides the hidden costs, what my cohort was going to look like.

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:

Oceans and Global Change

Course Department: Oceanography
Instructor: Heather Page
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was my favorite class that I took while at Sea Education Association’s campus. Dr. Heather Page was very flexible with her assignments and made each one of her lectures engaging and accessible. I feel like the lessons were relevant to the content we learn during the sea component.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A