Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

First Time Abroad, Life Changing / IHP Social Entre Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/26/2018 to 12/16/2018 with

SIT Study Abroad: Reviews from Former Locations

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It completely changed how I view the world and my place in it

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

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?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Using the host-family experience to gain local exposure since the programming is heavy and thus less time to explore on your own. Also little interaction with contemporaries in each country (like other uni students)

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The health care they provide is extensive

* 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)

The program provides a lot of meal stipends and travel stipends. Only extra money is gifts or eating away from home on weekends. I spent around $200 USD extra for the whole trip. There is one week of vacation in India and I was able to spend only around $100 USD for the whole week. So around $300 total for extra expenses on the trip.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

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?
  • Class readings for the anthro class
  • Exposure to different businesses around the world
  • Able to study the US landscape as well as international
* What could be improved?
  • Never stayed on schedule - learn to be flexible
  • Rarely told the schedule more than a week in advance - flexibility!!!!!!
  • Hard to grasp legal frameworks of businesses in each country
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? This program attracts people from all different academic backgrounds so you will learn a lot. Also IHP as a program is kind of liberal in their philosophies so that is present in the learnings.