The best experience of my life! (Go to Mongolia!) Past Review
By Lucy Page (Williams College) - abroad from 02/26/2019 to 06/06/2015 with
SIT Study Abroad Mongolia and Siberia: Nomadism, Geopolitics, and the Environment
Absolutely worthwhile. I developed close and lasting relationships with my host families, made wonderful friends, and explored a unique country.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I really enjoyed the Mongolian language courses, which were taught by excellent teachers. The other courses were in the form of guest lectures by a range of Mongolia and ex-pat leaders in politics, environmental activism, and mining, etc. Those classes were really interesting, but were not as rigorous as my classes at home. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The teachers and administrators were great! They were fun, well-organized, extremely interesting, and welcoming to all of us. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was lucky to have amazing host families throughout the program, both in Ulaanbaatar and in our countryside homestays. When we weren't in homestays, we were in comfortable hotels around the country. |
| * Food: |
I personally don't love Mongolian food, but the food at school was well-cooked and we had access to lots of variety in the capital city. And you get used to tons and tons of meat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very well-integrated. Since most people in Ulaanbaatar don't speak English, I was always trying to speak Mongolian. It was great to also have to speak so much Mongolian during the homestays. I thought the homestays were a great way to integrate us into the 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
This was a truly amazing experience. I made incredible friends, learned so much, and developed a love of international travel. |
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) |
Everything is pretty cheap! |
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 |
Speaking in homestays and taking intensive language classes at school. |
| 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 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | Just take the risk and do it! |
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. |
