awesome! Past Review

By (Linguistics., Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/29/2012 to 12/11/2012 with

SIT Study Abroad Nepal: Development, Gender, and Social Change in the Himalaya

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was incredibly worthwhile

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We each lived with a separate host family in Kathmandu while we were taking our classes (the first 2.5 months) and it was terrific. My family was great, and it was always a place I looked forward to returning to - after trips, research, after the program ended, and whenever I'm able to go back to Nepal.

* Food:

I could eat dhal bhaat every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. Lunch at the program center was always delicious.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I needed to get vaccines to go to Nepal. I didn't have any experience with the healthcare system. In general, the biggest issues for travelers are stomach issues from new food, new water, new country, etc.

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

My host mother didn't speak any English, and for 3 weeks I stayed in a village where no one spoke English, so I spoke a lot of Nepali and it helped enormously.

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

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* 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 village I lived in to do research/the research I did
  • Nepali class
  • trekking
* What could be improved?
  • the development and social change class should be more coherent
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? bring a voice recorder! but really, as long as you're easy-going you'll figure everything out

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Avid Adventurer
The 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Nepali Language

Course Department:
Instructor: Mina Rana, Chandra Rana, Sanjib Pokhrel
Instruction Language:
Comments: Nepali was fantastic! I can't believe how much I learned in 3 months, and the teachers were absolutely terrific. The classes are small (4 or 5 people) and we learned through a variety of games, exercises, projects, field trips, and conversation. What we learned was always extremely relevant and each day I could go back to my host family and have increasingly sophisticated conversations. I can't stress enough how great this class was.
Credit Transfer Issues: