The Warmest Winter with New Friends Past Review
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/22/2019 to 12/04/2019 with
SIT Study Abroad: South Africa - Community Health and Social Policy
I learned so much -- not just about health in South Africa, but about my own interests. I was constantly challenged and put in situations that I have never faced. The people around me inspired me to keep going when it felt like I hit a wall, and in the end, I am grateful for the opportunity to have studied with SIT in Durban.
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. |
While it did focus on community health and social policy, the classroom structure did not stimulate intensive learning, nor was it particularly engaging. The most valuable part of the academic portion of the program were the excursions, of which there were relatively few. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Student support was offered, and any logistical issues were dealt with swiftly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The homestay portion was wonderful; there was support from SIT staff and the homestay host families were welcoming. During the ISP/Internship period, the housing assignments were more complicated, which brought on some conflict within the program. |
| * Food: |
Whether by stipend or by host family, we always had food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The homestay solidified a sense of belonging, but once it was over, it was difficult to maintain that perspective, especially when students were living with each other. We lost a lot of our Zulu once classes ended as well, which made it harder to communicate in the Internship at times. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Like every city, Durban is safe so long as you take care not to flaunt anything of value. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program is unique in that it offers classes, an internship, and also gives a homestay experience. We traveled across the country, spent time in a rural area, hiked in some of the most beautiful parts of the world with the program, but we were also afforded the liberty to go out and about on the town on our own. It was a good mix of freedom to explore and guided academics that helped to get a picture of KwaZulu-Natal. |
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) |
The stipend is enough to live off of. For personal purchases, I found it was best to take out some money so that I would not strain the stipend budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $10-15 |
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 |
We were encouraged to use Zulu during the homestay period with our host families, but it was not used in the classroom (outside of the isiZulu course) and once the homestay was over, Zulu was mostly used in exchanges at the stores and bars. |
| 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? | Beginner |
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? | I wish I had been more willing to go off on my own and be independent. |
