Complicated and Rose Colored Past Review
By A student (Women's and Gender Studie, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/30/2014 to 12/12/2014 with
SIT Study Abroad: India: Public Health, Policy Advocacy, and Community
It was worthwhile. I am still too close to it to suss out what I learned, but I am certain it was worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This is complicated because it varied so much. Some of our class discussions were fantastic and brilliant, meriting at 5 star rating. Some of our guest professors were very dry and covered very basic concepts that all the students were already familiar with, meriting at 1. So, 3 stars is an imprecise average. |
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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? |
My host family was very kind but we never really clicked and I don't think I gained much from that part of the experience. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
It was what you made of it |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't spend all your free time in Starbucks. Convince your friends to try cheaper and more adventurous stuff. |
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 |
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| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | force yourself to use it, if you don't have to |
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? | 0 |
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? | To reframe the question, I wish I had stuck better with the resolve I had going in to make the fullest use of my time there as I could. I feel like I could have gotten a lot more out of the experience if I had pushed myself a bit more to meet local people my own age and to practice my Hindi outside of class and to explore the city more on my own. The program did not provide for those things, but I could have, and should have, done them on my own. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
