IFSA Pune was the Bread to my Butter February 15, 2022

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes are challenging but they definitely pack a lot of meaningful and relevant material in there. They always had answers to questions that I hadn't even thought to ask at that point in my academic career.

On-site administration of your program

Staff was amazing and accommodating. If we had any issues/questions/concerns they were always available to answer them and support us. I've never felt more ready to tackle a challenge as I did back then.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was perfectly matched with my homestay. Our host became a long-term friend to us and gave us so much guidance on the city, the food, and local Maharashtrian culture. I felt comfortable chatting with her and she made us all feel at home.

Indian food is amazing, hands down. On top of that, IFSA made sure to acquaint us not only with Indian cuisine from all over, but also local Maharashtrian cuisine that were delicacies in the area. Our host provided us dinner, lunch was on us, and breakfast was provided by IFSA at our central program center where we also had our classes.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

IFSA often went out of their way to include us in the local culture. This included having everyone practice a form of local music performance (you could pick between dance, an instrument, or vocals) with a teacher to perform at the end of the semester. They also brought in local students to tell us about particular holidays and the dances/music involved with that, introduced us to local students who took us on guided tours through the city, and brought us to the talent performance of the university we were studying at. Part of integration is making your own path and reaching out to locals to continue forming that relationship, but IFSA definitely took the first step for us many times.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any big experiences with healthcare but the insurance covered by the program was easy to understand and access. Also, healthcare in India is 100x cheaper than the US in general so nothing felt inaccessible from a financial standpoint.

Pune is a city with a lot of universities - that means a lot of students. Walking down the street felt safe and IFSA went over precautions with us during orientation so I never felt unprepared. However, India isn't really known for its night life and club scenes and most social spaces close around midnight or 1am. It can generally be unsafe for women to be alone at night, and our host also had a curfew in the evening to ensure our safety. If you follow safety precautions by your host and IFSA you shouldn't have any issues, and nobody in my program experienced anything negative.

Overall, I don't think my experience in India would be the same without IFSA. As the child of Indian immigrants, I've been to India many times before this program. However, I never learned nearly as much about myself or this country on those visits alone, so I really cherish this experience for creating a space for me, in my identity, to understand where I came from on a really meaningful level. I'd definitely recommend this program to anyone.

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

Everything in India from America's standards is incredibly cheap. Eating on campus for one all-you-can-eat meal was about $1, and mostly you'd spend around $5 or less on any given meal. Travel is also particularly affordable, including airfare in case you want to visit a different part of India. Definitely create a budget beforehand but you'll probably find yourself underspending.

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• Host Family

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• Americans

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• Americans

• IFSA resident staff
• Academic rigor
• Host family experience

• Nothing!

The Academic or Linguist