Experiential learning in the most diverse ecosystems in the world Past Review
By A student (Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology., Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/01/2013 to 05/16/2013 with
SIT Study Abroad: Australia - Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology
What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained more self confidence and independence. I also feel like I learned a unbelievable amount of information on rainforest, corals reefs and life in Australia. This program was 100% worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
|
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A. I had no experience with health care. |
| * Safety: |
I felt more safe in Cairns and the other areas we visited than I ever have in the US. Naturally, I was cautious, but people were generally very friendly and the locations felt safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
This question doesn't really apply to my program because living, food and transportation expenses were covered by the program. When we were on our own, we were given a very reasonable stipend to buy food and pay for rent. Australia is a very expensive country to visit, but the SIT stipend money was more than enough to cover all of our needs. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Almost nothing. All expenses were paid for either directly by the program or in the form a daily or weekly stipend for each student. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I found it very helpful to budget my stipend money. When I was keeping track of what I spent money on and how much money I spent, it was incredibly easy to stay under budget. If possible, cook with other people. You can go to a restaurant and buy a pasta dinner for $15 or you can split $20 between 8 people and get the same meal. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | SIT programs embrace adversity and ambiguity, and students should expect to not always know exactly what they are doing. The advisors always provide enough information for adequate preparation, but an important part of the program is learning to go with the flow and to embrace new experiences whether you were expecting them or not. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology |
| Course Department: | N/A |
| Instructor: | Jack Grant and Tony Cummings |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was AMAZING! Almost all of the course was conducted in what Middlebury would consider a lab-setting. We went out and saw everything we were learning about and did a lot of field-based learning, which greatly helped with the retention of the information. None of the assignments were tedious or stressful since they were all on very interesting material. Hands down the best science course I have ever taken. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Independent Study Project |
| Course Department: | N/A |
| Instructor: | Tony Cummings |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This part of the program gave students the amazing opportunity to delve into a topic of their choosing. In my case, I was able to work with a PhD student on her research, which gave me valuable experience working on a research project. This part of the program also allowed students to be completely independent and to work and thrive in a new and unfamiliar environment. The culminating report and presentation were the perfect ways to conclude the project and to give students the chance to write a lengthy scientific and/or synoptic paper and to professionally share their work with peers. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Environmental Field Studies Seminar |
| Course Department: | N/A |
| Instructor: | Tony Cummings |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was also amazing. It gave us the chance to experience different types of field-based learning including conducting interviews, writing and administering surveys, and writing synthesis and scientific papers. Each project had a different format and a different subject, but in every case, we had control over our own learning which greatly benefitted our learning experience. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
Featured Program Providers
