Madagascar: Gem in the Rough and Best Decision I've Made So Far Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Very different experience academically because there weren't any "tests" to speak of... only language evaluations and some papers, out of which 3 required any real effort. It may be difficult for those who are used to operating on a strict schedule and enjoy very directed studies, but I personally enjoyed it. It was a nice break from the way US universities/colleges work. I liked that everything was so relaxed and that the learning experience is emphasized rather than the standardizing/testing portion. It was far from rigorous, but the learning was a different learning. It was more about the culture and the nuances of the relationship between conservation and the local people. How we learn, how we interacted. Don't expect to learn about the sciences, like biology, the way you would in the states. It's more about getting a feel for things, rather than memorizing plant types. You do learn a bit about field research if you've never been exposed to it before though.

On-site administration of your program

The AD was on his own for the first time and there are usually two taking care of the program logistics, so communication was a bit of a problem and a source of frustration since the students were clueless many times... However, that being said, the AD and everyone tried their best to make the students as comfortable and aware as possible. He was very kind and has an incredible wealth of knowledge concerning the culture and the people. And if he doesn't know something, he doesn't hesitate to admit it, which is always good in a professor/director. He is also very understanding, so you can approach him with concerns easily. But he does not work well under pressure/stress, so students should be aware of that.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The trip is divided into 4 components: 1) Ft. Dauphin host family, 2) Faux Cap host family, 3) Camping with the program, 4) ISP. The host families overlap in terms of time, where you'll be away from your Ft. Dauphin family for a week. The time frames are not exclusive of each other (the program should describe this in the documents sent to the students). My Ft. Dauphin family was amazing and I enjoyed living with them thoroughly. They were very welcoming and kind. My French had improved a lot thanks to them. My Faux Cap family was not as great, but I enjoyed my time there because it was so different from our lifestyles in the states. It was as unplugged as you can get, basically. Camping was probably my favorite part of the entire trip because the students all got to know each other and every day was an adventure. We never knew what to expect. And the natural sights were absolutely beautiful! The rainy weather was a pain, but we got through it.

The restaurant food and picnics were always very satisfying--very delicious usually in the restaurants. The street food is also pretty good, once your stomach gets used to the local cuisine/hygiene levels. Vegetarian options are few and similar, but there are many fruits in Madagascar and the natural peanut butter is the best. Nutella is also your best friend, as are bananas (esp. baby bananas). As a meat eater though, I enjoyed my zebu and chicken whenever they were available, even though the portions are significantly smaller than in the States, but that is to be expected. Eating with the other students is always a source of stress though (half joking), since we were all usually hungry all the time and were all voracious eaters. As a group, portions was always a source of concern. Tensions were high whenever meal time came around. Make sure to be considerate, but also eat your fair share. And we also learned to buy our own snacks to make sure we don't pass out until it's meal time. Most importantly: RICE. You will eat lots of it with your host family. It's a staple for your meals, if not rice, then bread. If you're not used to eating a lot of it or even a decent amount in the states, Malagasy cuisine will train you to eat a good amount. Most of the students were sick of it... but I was used to eating it before, so I had no issues. There may be the occasional rock in your rice too, so chew carefully. My host mother in Ft. Dauphin also cooked pretty well, so I was well fed then too. I loooooved her fish. And the soup was good too. Some of the students lucked out with their host family's cooking, but there were also some whose host families gave them rather lacking meals.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Words cannot describe what an amazing time I had.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no concerns about safety as long as you're aware of your surroundings. Listen to whatever advice or concerns the staff imparts--they know Madagascar way better than you do, so just be wise and don't do anything you'd otherwise regret.

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

You learn both Malagasy and French on this program. However, my Malagasy never really improved by the end of the trip. It was more of an introduction to the language, through songs and phrase exercises. Useful for basic interaction. Expanding your Malagasy vocabulary was really left to the students--what the individual student put in, in terms of effort, is what the student got out of it. I personally did not try very hard to learn Malagasy beyond the couple of phrases and some words I learned, so, in the end, I did not learn very much. However, students who tried to communicate with many of the non-French speaking Malagasy people learned quite a bit and they were able to carry prolonged conversations with each other. As for the French, I think my French had improved significantly conversationally. I had always been pretty comfortable with the grammar and syntax portion of the language, but because I never practiced much at my home university, this was something that improved a lot since my study abroad. I ended up defaulting to French whenever I spoke to someone, and that practice, talking with locals, with officials and hearing it constantly with the professors all contributed to my current conversation abilities. Certainly my grammar, when speaking, is a bit off since I make mistakes conjugating when it needs to be done automatically/quickly as during conversation, but I am much better at saying whatever is on my mind now.

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• Americans
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• Everything!

• Communication to students