A Frustrating Semester Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Unfortunately, I have many complaints about this program. I enjoyed the semester and learned a lot, but I would not do it again (except for the ISP, which I thoroughly enjoyed). I did not learn as much as I should have because of the few assignments and the excess of dull lectures that I could rarely stay awake in (despite the fact that I'd always had enough sleep the night before). The "textbook" and reading materials consisted of falling apart binders with faded photocopies of texts. My French did not improve at all, and I didn't learn much about field biology techniques (which was the main thing I wanted to accomplish over the semester; luckily, I was at least able to do this during the ISP). Grading felt completely random, which was frustrating. The host family situation works well for some students and terribly for others (while some students are put with families that feed adequate breakfasts or have plumbing or even wi-fi, others are put with host families that neglect to provide proper breakfasts, don't have plumbing, have students share rooms or even beds with children, are inclined to rifle through the students' things, etc.). The disparities between the host families assigned to students are appalling, given the fact that all students are paying the same (very, very, very high price) for the program. Speaking of the students, there is always tons of conflict within the group, due in part to the way in which we are probably too often stuck together in cramped conditions (like the TATA bus), and due in part to the fact that many people who come on this program are not coming to meet people/establish friendships and are often quite, dare I say it, spoiled and overprivileged. I was considered a very successful student throughout the semester -- socially, academically, with my host family, etc., but nevertheless, there are dirty truths about this program that one should consider before signing up. Despite the program's many flaws, it may be worth choosing simply on the grounds that it's hard to find a chance to visit Madagascar otherwise. This was one of the main reasons why I chose it over a more technical program in Costa Rica. Unfortunately, I somewhat regret this choice.

On-site administration of your program

The on-site admins do their best and are nice, but I definitely think they should try to improve on things I've mentioned -- making grading seem more fair, fewer lectures, more objectively graded and individual assignments (there were almost none), closer monitoring of host family situations, more one-on-one with students to verify that they are adapting properly to the new environs, and less cramping of the student group into tight conditions that cause tension and conflict (or perhaps facilitating group bonding before placing the group in tension-creating situations).

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my host family and had a great experience staying with them. I am still in touch with them. For many students, however, it is not this way (see the question about overall experience). The one pet peeve I had about my living arrangements was that I lived far away from the classroom (I had to take a taxi every day) and somewhat far off of a main road (meaning that part of my commute felt a unsafe, especially if the sun was beginning to go down). This prevented me from taking part in any sort of outside-the-house evening activities, which most other students in the program were able to enjoy.

In a typical meal, there is lots of rice, a portion of meat, and a little bit of vegetables. It's hard for host families to cater to vegetarians. This program is not ideal for someone who is vegetarian or vegan. For a meat-eater, though, the food is great. Sometimes food (picnics) that we were given when on the road felt limited, so there was a sort of race/competition among the students to get what they wanted, and this was a source of tension between students.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This depends largely on how well one gets along with his/her host family. I felt as integrated into the culture as any American student could ever be. My host family helped me practice the Malagasy language and took me to events with them (like a marriage, a family Easter celebration, etc.).

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The person responsible for dispensing medicines is great and very knowledgeable. A student on this program has to be proactive with one's health -- and willing to approach this staff member to openly discuss whatever kind of diarrhea, yeast infection, etc. that the student might be having. Just about everybody on this program gets bacterial dysentery at least one or two times, so Cipro is a very essential medication (might be cheaper to wait and buy this when you're in Madagascar if your co-pay in America is large). Amoebic dysentery is common, too. The program provides medicines to students when they need them. Ideally, a student doesn't ever deal with the local healthcare system except to maybe buy Cipro or some other commonplace drug.

The main city in which this program takes place (Fort Dauphin) feels very safe. There were no incidents for any of the students in my semester. Antananarivo is a lot less safe -- pickpocketing and attempts at purse or wallet snatching are common. There were at least two small stealing attempts in Tana during my semester. When you're in Tana or in any other place and in doubt, keep your important things in a money belt, and wear it under your shirt. Additionally, it's not worth bringing expensive looking things on this program -- earrings you like, your favorite shirt, etc. Bring and wear junk.

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

The program itself is expensive, but you will need to spend almost no money while on the program -- probably $5 or less per week. Meals are always provided, whether by the program or by the host family, so the only money you need to spend on food is for snacks. Your largest expense will be for souvenirs, which aren't very expensive. Don't buy souvenirs at the start of the program. Wait until you're good at haggling and are at the souvenir market in Tana, where things can be brought down to very low prices.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We were encouraged to use the Malagasy language a lot and the French language quite a bit.

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Hotel

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans

• the Independent Study Project
• having a Malagasy host family
• getting to meet and interact with Malagasy people involved with science and conservation

• the grading, academic rigor, and classroom experience
• making the host family situation equally fulfilling for all students
• the social environment and sense of community within the student group

The Academic or Linguist