Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

South Caicos- Beauty Under the Sea Past Review

By (Environmental Science, Georgia College & State University) for

The School for Field Studies / SFS: Turks and Caicos Islands - Marine Resource Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I cherish every snorkel I went on and am so grateful for the opportunities to observe so much marine life. I am definitely looking into marine biology or marine science for graduate school.

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.

The major difference for me was the amount of work, but that was due to the short amount of time we had to learn it.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Every issue I had was responded to immediately.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved the dorms, but my particular room wasn't very comfortable- there wasn't any air circulation from the windows and no fans on the walls. However, the staff was very accommodating and found additional fans for our room.

* Food:

The food was very impressive! We had fresh salad nearly everyday and a good variety of meals and snacks. Very impressive for an island where all the food is imported!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I really enjoyed playing with the kids every Saturday during community engagement.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt extremely safe. We were given an in depth safety lecture the night we arrived.

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? 5
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I wish I could have been told a more definite the plane ticket price before the trip since I had to pay it in cash during my stay. I would have preferred to pay it earlier, before I spent so much money but we payed around the middle of our stay. I did find myself a little short for the rest of the trip.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? United States

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The amount of time spent in the water
* What could be improved?
  • More time in the water!
  • Less emphasis on economics/social science and more emphasis on biology and ecology of the reefs
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The sad reality is the reefs will not be here in 50 years. Now is the best time to immerse yourself into this amazing environment.