A Beautiful Place with Great People October 26, 2026
By Mollie N (Environmental Studies, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/28/2026 to 05/08/2026 with
The School for Field Studies / SFS: Turks and Caicos Islands - Marine Resource Studies
Not only did I learn so much in the classroom on my program, I also learned so much from the community, and the land and water, that my entire worldview has shifted. I got to swim and scuba dive in some of the world's most beautiful reefs with incredible biodiversity, take classes to become better versed in my marine knowledge, and conduct research in this environment. Living in the cohort/community-style also gave me a whole second family for life. Because of the living situation, I became so close with my professors, dive instructors, and classmates very quickly, which I am very grateful for. We were also provided with really cool opportunities to explore South Caicos, its local land and waters, as well as the surrounding TCI islands. Finally, having mandatory volunteering hours each week allowed me to get to know the local islanders and connect with them in meaningful ways that we both benefitted from.
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. |
I learned so much (more so than I have in my classes at my home institution), but the classes were so intense to the point that I felt like I was missing out on the joys of studying abroad because I was constantly bombarded with work. Some weeks, we had class for 8+ hours a day, which meant that on those days, we didn't get to enjoy any free time on the island because we had to be in the classroom all day. On top of hours in the classroom, we would have hours of readings and homework each night. If class was from 8AM to 5PM, we had dinner at 6, and then would have to do homework from 7PM-10PM, so it was disappointing that we didn't have much time to ourselves. Otherwise, the classes were amazing and taught very well, I just wish that the load had been lighter, especially for a study abroad experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The professors and dive staff at SFS were amazing, but the actual administration (Director and Health and Wellness Manager) were not quite as supportive. At one point we had a mouse in our room (pooping our beds), and neither the Director or the HWM provided any support or solutions. We felt very alone in the problem, and on an island where there are very few resources in the first place, very helpless. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great dorms right on the water! Having all of the students share a corridor fostered a nice sense of community, and my roommates became my best friends. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I got so much out of my experience abroad that I don't think I would get anywhere else in life. I did such cool things (learned to scuba dive, hiked around an untouched part of the island, volunteered in local schools) that other abroad programs do not provide the opportunities for. |
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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish that I had known just how impactful the people from the program would be. I had assumed that going abroad would allow me to study topics that I am passionate about in a more hands-on way, gain independence in the world, and explore a new place. I had not expected that the people in my cohort, and the staff, would become like a second family to me. In the SFS cohort, you do everything with everyone, all the time. You live together, eat together, take classes together, dive together, and even sleep together. While this can obviously be frustrating at times (in terms of privacy), it allows you to very quickly connect with everyone at the center and feel very supported and cared for. I met really cool people through SFS that I now get to call my friends for life. |
