Everything I needed and more! Past Review

By A student (International Relations, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/19/2015 to 05/16/2015 with

IFSA: Intercollegiate Sri Lanka Education Program / ISLE

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I really enjoyed being in Sri Lanka and being surrounded by loving, warm-hearted, and positive individuals. I learned a great deal from my courses and had the chance to witness what I was learning outside of them. It was definitely a very worthwhile experience!

Review Photos

Bowdoin College: - Intercollegiate Sri Lanka Education Program / ISLE Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
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?	None, meals were provided by host family.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Spend your money wisely!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language
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?	Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	None
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Yes, you can practice with local university students as well as host family members (if applicable).

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Food Location Beaches
* What could be improved?	Host Family Arrangements
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I was more comfortable traveling by myself. A huge portion of my study abroad included self-exploration, and it felt very weird at first. However, after a couple solo trips, I enjoyed learning about myself and becoming a huge fan of the quote, "learn to be alone and not feel lonely."

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.	The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Sri Lankan Studies Seminar
Course Department:	Sociology/Anthropology
Instructor:	Tudor Silva
Instruction Language:	English/Sinhala
Comments:	Yes, this course was very challenging and we had many field visits. The readings were dense, but very manageable. I participated in most class discussions. The bulk of this course required conducting research on a chosen topic and writing an independent study paper.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No, Middlebury transferred the credits and applied it to my major.

Course Name/Rating:	Sinhala 2
Course Department:	Sinhala
Instructor:	Amare
Instruction Language:	Sinhala
Comments:	This class was very challenging, but I enjoyed learning Sinhala with a very positive, warm-hearted professor. He was extremely knowledgeable and he used great teaching strategies. We had daily homework and journaling, weekly quizzes, a midterm exam, and a final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No, Middlebury transferred the course and I applied it to my major.

Course Name/Rating:	Post Colonial Crisis in Sri Lanka
Course Department:	Political Science
Instructor:	Gamini Keerawela
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was certainly challenging, yet manageable. The professor was very knowledgeable, but I felt as though he did not know how to carry out class discussions. This was mostly a lecture, but I learned a great deal overall. We wrote two long papers as well as research responses for this course.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No, Middlebury transferred the credits and I was also awarded major credits.

Course Name/Rating:	Sinhala 1
Course Department:	Sinhala
Instructor:	Amare
Instruction Language:	Sinhala
Comments:	The course was intense, but the professor was brilliant. He was very passionate and did not move on until we understood the concept completely. Class participation was essential and I did it more than usual. The class consisted of daily homework and journaling, weekly quizzes, a midterm exam, and a final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No, Middlebury transferred the credit and I was able to apply it to major credits.