Would do it again in a heartbeat! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My experience with SIT Nicaragua was holistic, eye-opening, and intense. On an academic level, my classes were immediately relevant to my homework and day- to-day life, which made it easy to learn. The program gives students incredible academic freedom to demonstrate what we learn in creative formats, which allowed me to create a lot of art and media for my classes. In the program’s excursions to rural Nicaragua, the Caribbean coast and Cuba, we were able to learn directly from community members. The vast curriculum is designed to prepare students to complete an independent research project. Even though I was nervous for that project, it served to be one of the most rewarding challenges of my undergraduate career (I researched community radio on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua).

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

With respect to my personal and social life in the program, my experience centered around my wonderful host family. The program houses all of its students in one neighborhood in Managua, where every evening the streets are alive with the sounds of family life. My own home was full of life—with siblings who wanted to talk with me about their dreams and take me out with their friends, and with a mother who wanted to take me with her 'a pasear' and feed me—a lot. They made me feel truly loved and supported throughout my experience.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I hope you do consider this program for your study abroad experience, it is challenging, but it is also incredibly holistic and rewarding. If I had the chance to re-apply and be back there next semester, I would do it in a heartbeat!!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• - my homestay family, I had some really awesome host-siblings who loved to take me out and introduce me to young Nicaraguans, and a really kind and fun mother. They were very supportive of me throughout the whole semester, and we still keep in touch now!
• the excursions during the program--we got to travel often and see a lot of Nicaragua (which is an incredibly beautiful country), and also got to be in CUBA for 10 days, which was also amazing.
• - the other students on the program--we were a very tight-knit group, and they have become some of my best friends.

• Better packing list!!! (has been revised since my trip)