Sailing through Polynesia Past Review
By Emily L (Biology, Wheaton College) for
Sea Education Association: Sustainability in Pacific Island Communities and Ecosystems
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was heavy the whole time. The academic work was completed mainly during the first month and last two weeks. We had class daily, on land it went from 9 to 5 and on the boat we had formal classes for 2 hours each day. However, since we were part of the crew for at least 6 hours out of 24 and at most 8 we were learning almost all the time. This program is completely unlike anything I have experienced at Wheaton College (MA). First researching little known topics in Wood's Hole broadened my world view. However it was my experience Polynesia and living on a boat first hand that was the most life-changing. Teaching methods were far more hands on than in a traditional setting. Nautical Science was an especially hands on class as all the students were responsible for sailing the boat by reporting for watch, We were of course under the direction of the mates and our Captain, Steve Tarrant, but nonetheless the students were the ones doing the grunt work. Grades were based on 4 research papers and assessments by crew. Overall I think this course was very challenging but also very rewarding. I would say it was far more difficult than the average study abroad program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We lived in a nice, well-equipped house for the first month. Then we lived in bunks in the boat. We had two Polynesians accompanying us on our voyage, 24 students, and 10 crew. |
| * Food: |
I am vegetarian and they were very accommodating. We had 6 meals a day, there was probably too much food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really enjoyed our port time, we always had interesting field trips and then we got to explore the islands for ourselves. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Health and safety were very important on the boat. Any little health concern was addressed with the utmost care. We had frequent safety drills on the boat. |
| 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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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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