An incredible opportunity to study in Mongolia Past Review
By A student (Anthropology, University of Massachusetts Amherst / UMass) - abroad from 02/27/2009 to 06/17/2009 with
SIT Study Abroad Mongolia and Siberia: Nomadism, Geopolitics, and the Environment
Totally incredible experience, I learned so much and have a new view of the world.
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. |
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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? |
Luck of the draw if you get a great host family or one that's just ok. We had 3 home stays and I stayed with great families 2/3 times. |
| * Food: |
You gain a greater appreciation for the variety of your food at home. There are some delicious treats in Mongolian cuisine and some foods that are not the best but interesting to try. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
With a great host family you feel like part of the family. There is a lot of anti foreigner sentiment in the general Mongolian population of Ulaanbaatar unfortunately. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Had no problems. |
| * Safety: |
The program keeps students very safe. Mongolia as a developing country has food and safety hazards. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $25 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The program keeps you very busy. There's not a lot of time to do things on your own until after the program. |
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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? |
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? | More Mongolian language |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
