Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity January 22, 2023

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The intensity of Wheaton coursework (we take 2 seminar-style classes) was comparable to my home university, which is to say, relatively demanding. However, I did think that the classes were very useful in contextualizing and deepening my understanding of Bhutanese culture/politics. Coursework at Royal Thimphu College (we only take 1 class) was much, much more laidback and not particularly academically challenging.

On-site administration of your program

Lots of resources and people are available to support international students at Royal Thimphu College, the host institution in Bhutan. Having the additional support of a Wheaton faculty member can also be helpful when navigating adjustment.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We lived in dorms at RTC. As I understand, RTC's dorms are among the nicest college housing arrangements in Bhutan. However, for an American, adjusting to the dorms may take some patience - hot water and electricity in the facilities can be quite temperamental, the latter of which can be difficult when it starts getting cold outside.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the food served in the college's mess hall. However, the canteen offered better food at a relatively nominal cost for college students. The food scene in the town of Thimphu is not bad nor too expensive if you are interested in exploring it.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

People are very welcoming and friendly at RTC. Surprisingly, however, I actually ended up making more friends at my internship. I learned a lot about Bhutanese culture just by working/socializing with people at my internship.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Nearly all of my international student friends and I got sick multiple times while at RTC - sometimes pretty badly. There is a college nurse at RTC, but if you are moderately ill, you'll probably be sent to the public hospital/clinic in Thimphu. Although healthcare is free of charge in Bhutan, health infrastructure and personnel are much less robust/resourced than it is in the US. I would strongly advise that a student with a severe chronic illness, severe food allergies, or mobility limitations take this fact into consideration when thinking about this program. Additionally, there are two mental health counselors at RTC - I can't personally speak to their services, but I do know that other people found them useful.

Overall, Bhutan is a pretty safe country for foreigners.

Bhutan is a very unique country with fascinating history/culture/politics, not to mention incredible hiking and biodiversity. The Wheaton program is a great way to study Bhutan in depth while also being able to travel around the country and gain experience interning.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• Dorm

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• Local Students

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• Local Students
• Americans

• Excursions to other parts of Bhutan
• Wheaton classes
• Internship in Thimphu

• Communication prior to the program - I would've appreciated more information earlier
• Protocol related to payments for students in the program who do not attend Wheaton. It seemed like there was little to no communication between Wheaton's study abroad office and Wheaton's financial services, the latter of whom did not seem to understand that I do not attend Wheaton and payments are handled by Wellesley's study abroad office.

The Academic or Linguist