Loving family, great friends, and amazing experiences - but academically lacking Past Review

By A student (Conservation Biology., Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/26/2013 to 12/13/2013 with

SIT Study Abroad: Ecuador - Comparative Ecology and Conservation

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

My time abroad was worthwhile. I loved the people I was with and the people I met. However, I cannot get over the block that I am a student first, and as a student the program somewhat failed me.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	This course was designed as an introduction to ecology and conservation. As a conservation biology major, I thought much of it was review and uninspiring.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	They accomplished their tasks, but many of the administrators obviously did not get along with each other, and that affected the quality and tenor of the program.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I loved my host family. They made my study abroad experience.
* Food:	It is hard to have dietary restrictions abroad. However, the food I did eat was good.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	My main source of cultural integration was through my host family.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	The staff and academic directors were very supporting in explaining preventative measures and assisting students who became ill. I personally did not have to use the Ecuadorian health care system.
* Safety:	There was one student who was mugged at 6 am on her way to class and another student who was robbed (unknowingly) on an overnight bus returning from ISP. There were also a few cases of theft of between $20 and $60 from non-Quito home stay family siblings.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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)	All immediate expenses (non-alchoholic or entertainment) were provided by the program. Most meals were provided by our home stay, and for those that were not we received ~$6 per meal to spend.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$40
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Only bring money to Ecuador in $5, maybe $10 denominations. Many places will not accept $20 or higher.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	There was initial encouragement, but when one student was lost in lecture the academic advisor switched mainly to English. All assignment were suggested to be written in Spanish, but none absolutely required.
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	A Spanish 300 equivalent over the summer
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Excursions and experiential learning The other students My host family
* What could be improved?	The inter-staff professional relationships Curriculum
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish my expectations for what would be important to me would have been adjusted.

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 Linguist You 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:	Ecology and Conservation Seminar
Course Department:	Biology
Instructor:	Sylvia Seger and Xavier Silva
Instruction Language:	English/Spanish Mix
Comments:	As a conservation biology major, many of the themes brought up in this course were basic and uninspiring. Compared to what I am used to at Middlebury, there was an obvious lack of discussion of the reading materials. The most beneficial component of this class was the experiential learning in the various locations (cloud forest, Galapagos Islands, Amazon rain forest). It was those three excursions that made this course worth it.
Credit Transfer Issues: