india gave me perspective Past Review
By lauren b (women's studies/creative writing, Hope College) for
CIEE: Hyderabad - Arts and Sciences
it helped me realize that there are really BIG issues going on. our american issues are nothing compared to an average indian person. water, shoes, beds, air conditioning, internet, food is limited; we are used to limitless. i am a much more aware global citizen
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. |
i didn't feel as challenged as i do in the american educational system. i had to teach myself a lot. lectures were sometimes interesting, sometimes boring, and sometimes didn't necessarily have to do with the content of the class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
they are awesome, and relate to you really well even though they may not have been to the US. they help you out with school related things, and also non-school related things (like the best tailor is!). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
i loved living in the hostel/dorm; they gave you towels and sheets and there was a cafeteria. i didn't like how the program handled the host family situation; there were only two families and more kids than they could accommodate, so we had to un-volunteer when we got there, even though we had filled out our housing preference a couple months in advance. i wish they would have had another family lined up to accommodate for all the extra kids who preferred a homestay. the hostel/dorm is very far away from the rest of campus, so that was a little annoying. |
| * Food: |
it was slightly annoying that you HAVE to have a meal plan if you live in the hostel/dorm. it would be easier to eat out at the student canteen sometimes, like when you had a break in between classes, instead of having to bike/walk at least a mile back to the hostel cafeteria. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
all the students in the program bonded and it was awesome to have people who knew pretty much exactly what you were going through. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | maybe $50? |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | ATM withdrawal fees. even if you have, for example, a citibank card and you use the citibank ATM, there is still a $2 fee. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
we weren't required to know a foreign language going into our program, but we were required to take one once we got there. lots of people speak english in india, but i used hindi almost everyday. i practiced with friends, classmates, and teachers. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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