Great Exposure to the Field of Global Health, Switzerland, and Morocco Past Review
By Talia (Wesleyan University) - abroad from 01/20/2020 to 05/03/2020 with
SIT Study Abroad: Switzerland - Global Health and Development Policy
It was definitely worthwhile! I learned about the cultures of the countries we lived in, and about how they approach issues of public health, government, diplomacy, etc. This was very beneficial to me in terms of thinking about future career paths. I continued to learn how the rest of the world views the US, which is not the way we think they view us - I think this was one of the most important things - to gain perspective on our own conceptions and perceptions. I also made connections with American peers that I am very grateful for, and I was able to explore Switzerland with them, which I would have been unable to afford without the support of this program.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Overall this was a wonderful program that exposed me to high level global health organizations and helped me learn more about what kind of work is happening in the field itself. Switzerland and Morocco are beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring both. This program brought together a wonderful group of likeminded students who I am so grateful to have met, and hope to stay in touch with moving forward, both personally and professionally. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Although I would definitely recommend this program overall, I think that the administration was the weak point. While everyone was very friendly and kind, the administration was frustrating and unorganized at times. Despite this, they were able to coordinate some really great experiences for us. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mother was wonderful and so so kind, and her town was so quaint and right on the train line. I was grateful that there were other students placed in nearby houses as well, and that I was one of two students in my household. However, it's important to note that our housing is not in the city of Geneva, but in small towns that are around 20-60 minutes outside of the city. |
| * Food: |
Our host families were responsible for providing us with breakfast and dinner, and we were given a food stipend for our lunches. Food in Geneva is extremely expensive, and so we had to be strategic to make our stipend last. Overall though this is very doable as long as you are conscious about it. This was not an issue in Morocco, where all our meals were provided, and we were given more food than we knew what to do with! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
While I truly enjoyed living in the small town with my host mother, one thing that differs from a study abroad program at a host university is that I didn't get to meet many Swiss people my own age (especially because most host parents don't have children living at home anymore). However, this allowed our group of 30 American students to become very close. Due to our travel pass, we were able to see as much of the country as we wanted, which was an amazing gift. In this way, we had to seek out the culture a bit more, but this ability to travel around the country freely was truly invaluable. In Morocco, I do feel like we were able to get to know the local culture, due to how close knit the community was and due to the presence of more young people. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health issues, but from what I heard from my peers, help was available if needed. Some people got sick in Morocco when we had limited health care access, but our trip leaders did the best they could to help with the resources we had. They did recommend a Typhoid vaccine for this program since we went to Morocco, which I got before I left the US. |
| * Safety: |
Geneva is extremely safe, and the transportation system is fabulous. I never felt in danger at all. Everyone speaks English and I had no issue communicating. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I am very grateful for the other students I met on this program, and for the resources that this program offered to us. Due to COVID our program was cut short, but I would have loved to finish our last month in Switzerland and explore the area more. |
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) |
Because our host families were responsible for two meals a day, we only had to buy ourselves lunch. Food in Geneva is very expensive, but we were able to make our food stipends last as long as we sought out cheaper options. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | probably around $100/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There are restaurants on the cheaper side, you just have to do some hunting. Also, pack lunches. This doesn't mean you can't go to nicer restaurants, but I tried not to make it a habit. If you are alright spending some of your own money, you don't need to worry about this as much, but by being more conscious about it, I was able to use some of my food stipend for other things, like travel, nicer souvenirs, etc. |
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 |
Everyone in Geneva speaks English so it can be challenging to practice French in public since people will switch to English when they hear your accent. The French class was not particularly rigorous, but was a good way to keep the language on my mind. Some host families know English and others don't, so they will try to place you based on your French knowledge level. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French 215 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | All of the host families know French, so even if they primarily speak to you in English, if you want to practice, ask them to spend some time speaking French with you - maybe dinner a few times a week. |
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? | 0 |
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? | America isn't the center of the world - if you have the opportunity to go somewhere new, no matter where it is, take it. You'll begin to view the world, and your own home, very differently. It is absolutely worth it to take a risk and learn something new than to remain inside a bubble. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
