Go to India! Consider a different program. Past Review
By Michelle P (Anthropology., Trinity University) - abroad from 08/26/2013 to 12/18/2013 with
IFSA/Alliance: Pune - Contemporary India
The experience of being in India was incredibly worthwhile and amazing. However, choosing to go with a more put together program would have made my experience in Pune infinitely better and much less frustrating. The internship component was very rewarding and educational. However, the internship began late in the program and lasted less than 4 weeks. Having a semester long internship, with fewer hours a day, would have been more beneficial.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were meant to be academically rigorous but this merely meant they they took up most of your day. Papers were graded like it was a joke and thus negated the hard work. I would not say I gained much educational knowledge while in India. Although, India does have a very different type of educational system an American program should attempt to cater more to American students type of educational expectations. Especially if it promotes itself as academically rigorous. Warning: avoid the film class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They administration treats its students like children and is not the most attentive to students interests and expectations for their time spent in India. They are also not very helpful or efficient in regards to homestay or internship issues students are having. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had chosen the hostel option before arriving in India and was notified that this was no longer an option a week before flying there. Unless you want to live with a host family then I would go with a different option. Additionally some of the host families in this program had major issues with their students. Some were neglectful, some overbearing and restricting, and others who just made you uncomfortable. However, many of the students had great host families and loved their living situation so it really just depends! |
| * Food: |
Great! Indian food is delicious and cheap. Although it can get a little repetitive to just eat Indian food 3 times a day, everyday, there are some other options around Pune. I highly recommend a little french restaurant near the program center. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Little to not at all. The program is very restrictive and overbearing. They take attendance extremely seriously and scold you for missing classes to travel. So if you want a program where you can travel and skip a few days this is not the one. A long and full schedule that takes up most of the day, where you are stuck at the program center, also limits your social interactions around Pune. Restrictive host families on weekends and nights also limit this as well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was fine and very accessible. Alliance makes sure to take you to the doctor immediately if you are feeling even the slightest bit unwell. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt very unsafe or experienced any incidents that went past mildly creepy experiences with men. As long as you dress appropriately and follow cultural norms you should be fine. Traveling with a group is also a way to avoid dangerous or creepy situation. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
The rupee to dollar ratio is extremely beneficial to U.S. students. Everything was affordable, which also allowed for more travel than one might have been able to accomplish in a different country. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 20 |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | I wish I had known that the administration and many of the professors were entirely new. I also wish I had had more of a heads up regarding the botched living situation and the failure to attain classrooms on Fergusson campus. Also I wish the internship component had been made more clear. |
