I LOVE Southern INDIA. Past Review
By Laura R (Geography and Cartography., Brigham Young University) - abroad from 04/28/2012 to 08/10/2012 with
Brigham Young University: Traveling - India Study Abroad
I learned that God's children are everywhere and we have so much to learn about other cultures. I love my Tamil villagers, I loved it all. it was 100% worthwhile.
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. |
It was intense. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was difficult to live in a village, but it was worth it. |
| * Food: |
I learned to love Indian food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was 100% integrated into the culture. we had no professor with us, no one to guide us, no language broker, no cook, etc. We were completely on our own, so it was up to us to make the best of it. I learned to LOVE my Tamil people, especially the villagers. they taught me so much. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
We had insurance during our 90 day stay. |
| * Safety: |
Tamil Nadu is relatively safe and I never felt threatened. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
India was very very cheap. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 30 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't spend money on dumb things. |
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 |
They provided a class for us, and there was no way to really survive if you we didn't speak the language. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | Just 101 |
| 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? | Get in there!!!! and just talk and talk. Don't expect people to speak English, don't be afraid to sound dumb, natives love it when you try to speak their language. |
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? |
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 knew how different the culture was and some technical things, like it gets REAALLLLY hot and things take a long time. |
