A series of meaningful experiences that cannot be restricted to a single phrase Past Review
By Hanna Gaertner (University of Denver) - abroad from 08/31/2019 to 12/12/2019 with
SIT Study Abroad: Tanzania - Zanzibar Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management
Honestly I learned too much to document succinctly. In summary I'll say that learning took place across many dimensions - academic, cultural, emotional, technical, anthropologic, inter-personal, observational, etc. It was certainly worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Some of the lectures were a bit redundant and I often wished they would go more in depth to maximize learning. The intensity was good overall as it accounted for learning to occur outside of books and assignments. The program staff and partners are excellent resources, sometimes internet resources were difficult to obtain. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They are truly champions - incredibly hardworking and supportive. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It is important to be flexible and willing to tackle discomfort, but it is certainly worth it. |
| * Food: |
The group meals were awesome and the budget was reasonable. The fruit was incredible. It was challenging for me to eat a carb-heavy diet with lots of fried items. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I learned a great deal but knew I would always be an outsider and didn't know enough Kiswahili to be more functional on my own. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
I felt safe almost all of the time, taking a few precautions is all that's necessary to prevent incidents (i.e. wearing shoes to prevent stepping on urchins) |
| 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | less than $10, usually none |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Commit to the budget and keep records to stay on track. |
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 |
We were required to in many cases, not just in the classroom. Plus, local people appreciated when I used it, even when I made several mistakes. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | none |
| 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? | Speak as much as you can! Listen to conversations, music, tv etc. to pick up new words - this helped me a lot |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I think it was good to not know much because I arrived with very limited expectations which set me up to "go with the flow" for lack of a better phrase. |
