For the Love of God, Consider This Program Past Review
By Melissa S (Nursing, Texas A&M University - College Station) - abroad from 02/01/2015 to 05/09/2015 with
SIT Study Abroad: India: Public Health, Policy Advocacy, and Community
everything. My perspective of the world is so much larger now than it was before. I made invaluable friends and learned so much. This experience was pivotal to my career decisions.
Review Photos
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. |
Phenomenal program with highly dedicated instructors and extensive experiential learning opportunities |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Campus staff and administration are constantly there for you, during your time with them. They are passionate and knowledgable about their subjects and about helping you better understand the academics, their country, and yourself. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
In Delhi, I lived with a peer in a host family and took the metro to campus everyday. We benefitted greatly from this emersion. During my research period, I stayed with a host family in my Rajasthan location and had a similarly wonderful experience. |
| * Food: |
Do yourself a favor and go buy some palak paneer. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I believe this program did as good a job as possible at taking a group of western students and blending them into a new, and totally different, culture. Our instructors and host families helped us learn how to dress, taught us customs and practices, introduced us to Bollywood, and helped us practice our Hindi. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
One staff member was designated as the "mom" of the trip; we came to her with any little ailments we had. She was accessible to us at all hours and all locations. Additionally, the locations and times more taxing to us were met with additional health resources and access to quality care, if needed. |
| * Safety: |
With the cultural guidance of our professors and host families, as well as being situated with one of our peers for commutes, I felt more safe living and exploring Delhi and Northern India than I have many big cities in the states. Even in my month of independent research, SIT staff made sure I had people I could depend on close at hand and called on a regular schedule to check up on me. |
| 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) |
SIT did a great job of making sure we had all the money we would need for our trip before we left and the staff helped us budget once we arrived. Being a student at Texas A&M, though, I'm spoiled by relatively cheap tuition and low cost of living. One semester with SIT (academics and food/housing) cost what a year would at A&M (tuition and food/housing). |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Because we ate lunch at the program center and dinner with our host families nearly every night, the vast majority of living expenses were factored into the program expenses. The rest was maybe $30-60 for touristy things, souvenirs, etc. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Your host family and the instructors will teach you how to barter. Listen to them. |
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 |
We used our Hindi on a daily basis and were encouraged to choose a research location in a Hindi-speaking region. |
| 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? | They had us learn the "hindi alphabet" before we came, and learn a few simple words. |
| 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? | Make an effort to speak with your host family in Hindi. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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 don't think I would have brought as many cold-weather clothes, knowing that I would really only need them for a few weeks before they would just take up space in my bag. |
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. |
