Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Eat, Pray, Love. Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/22/2012 to 12/17/2012 with

SIT Study Abroad: IHP - Health and Community: Globalization, Culture and Care (Fall 1)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a sense of the size of the world. I gained perspective on the US and myself.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

In India, I would rate the country coordinator a 2.5-3. Things did not run on schedule and our time was not used efficiently. In China and South Africa, I would rate the coordinators a 4. They were very organized and the program ran very smoothly

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not personally receive medical care, but those on my program that did were satisfied.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

The cost of vacation was unexpectedly high because my assumption was that a week long vacation in India would not be around $500 USD.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Spend as little money as possible in India because Beijing is going to be expensive and the exchange rate goes from 1:50 to 1:6

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The selected countries
  • The friends I made
  • The out of the classroom experiences
* What could be improved?
  • Traveling faculty
  • Increase the amount of time in South Africa
  • Organization of the India programx
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Pack light.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.