Studying Abroad in Ho Chi Minh City: A Most Unforgettable Experience! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was large but manageable. I held internship positions at 2 locations, took 10 hours of Vietnamese, 3 hours of Intro/History, and 3 hours of food culture. It sounds like a lot, but this was a special request from myself and the university I attend. After getting into the swing of things, it really turned out to be an eye opening experience and well worth the work!

On-site administration of your program

The Director, was very knowledgeable about Viet Nam, and provided a wealth of service opportunities to the students staying through her ability to network, and speak fluent Vietnamese. We felt very welcomed, as she promoted spending time as a group and going out and about in Ho Chi Minh City with our roommates. All abroad students were given motorbike helmets on the first official day of the program to use, and were told if we went out as a group, that CET would pay for the event, be it dinner, movies, bowling, waterpark, zoo, anything. It was a great program. A couple weaknesses in the program though: while there was a set schedule for all classes made out for the duration of the program, often classes got moved around, or cancelled, and guest lecturers occasionally didn't show up.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The hostel was in a gated community so it was comparably safe. Our classes were also within the gated community and a very close walk to the hostel. I did buy a small set of drawers, some hangers, an extension cord, an ice tray, and some pillows and blankets to feel at home, but all of these things together cost less than $15 USD.

Food was everywhere! And so cheap! I'd pay $.80 for a hearty sub-like sandwich at the corner of Alley 18-A in HCMC a few nights a week. Alley 18-A was a couple blocks from the hostel, where lots of good restaurants and the laundry places for our group were. There was a Lotte which is like Viet Nam's version of KFC right on the corner if you wanted comfort food, and 2 internet cafe's within the gated community that were open from 6:00 AM until 8:30 PM for Vietnamese food, drinks, and online time. Eating 3 meals a day from cafe's, restaurants, or street vendors costs less than $10 bucks a day, but you do have to be weary of what you eat, and bring stuff to prepare for indigestion/upset stomach/diarrhea.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

A very memorable experience was our study tour through the central highlands in Viet Nam - it was one of the greatest cultural experiences I've ever had! In Quang Binh for a day, we were just north of the 17th Parallel (the DMZ), taking a boat tour through the Phong Nha Ke Bang caves. We watched water buffalo swimming in the river, bats flying about in the caves, and young kids playing in the surf, doing flips off the grass into the water. After the tour, we hiked up the mountain to take a peak in the caves from up top - which by the way was very challenging. Occurring inside was a Buddhist ceremony with locals standing around a preaching monk and incense burning from a few bowls of raw rice about them. While I was exhausted getting there, I was also amazed to realize the effort the locals would endure to attend this religious service. It was so peaceful and totally unforgettable..

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

If you're a safe person, then you should have no problems being in Ho Chi Minh City. CET provided us with laminated cards with all emergency numbers, program staff numbers, local clinic numbers and addresses, and our own address to reference if we ever needed to. When I got sick and had to see a doctor, I was able to hop in a taxi and be at the clinic in 5 minutes. My first doctor, being an expat, spoke perfect English. On subsequent visits, I had local doctors that spoke perfect English as well. Most medical expenses were reimbursed within 3 months of my return to the U.S.

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

CET has a roommate program, where I shared a hostel with a local. We practiced everyday, and in my internship, Vietnamese was needed at times and proved very useful. Also, going out to order food, take car or motorbike taxis, and do other recreational activities required basic knowledge of Vietnamese. Most people did not speak English.

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• Hostel

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• Local Students