A Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience January 11, 2022
By Tessa S (Environmental sciences, Northwestern University) - abroad from 09/04/2021 to 12/17/2021 with
SIT Study Abroad: Ecuador - Comparative Ecology and Conservation
It was very much so worthwhile. I gained friends, experience, and loads of knowledge that I'll be able to use to develop my education and push myself towards my career goals.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The overall educational experience of this program was very rigorous, but extremely rewarding. The amount of pure experience you get out of this program is incredible, and it really helped me as a scientist to better understand the inner workings of the scientific community. Additionally, it taught me how to work with others, be self-sufficient, and gain my own balance for a number of tasks including scientific reports, field techniques, and independent research projects. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
On-site administration was very clear and well-communicated. It was also decently relaxed, which at first might seem off-putting, but it actually helped ease a lot of stress I had about this program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Because of COVID, we did not do home stays. Instead, all of us stayed at a nice "hostel" (two people to a room), and I actually really enjoyed this because it gave me the opportunity to better communicate and bond with the other students in the program. |
| * Food: |
The food here is a bit different than what I was used to in the United States. A big change is that lunch is the biggest meal, and each meal you have will generally include some kind of rice and meat. It took a while for my body to adjust to the differences in meals, but once they did, I was completely fine. We had some absolutely incredible meals, especially on excursions. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We stayed at a hostel with a very lovely Ecuadorian family that took us in and taught us a lot about their culture. Additionally, every excursion we went on included meeting local people and learning about their foods and traditions. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
On this trip, I got a spider bite that ended up infected. While I was pretty far from the nearest hospital, I had someone that was able to drive me, and I was immediately admitted into the hospital. They gave me good treatment, and it was very cheap. Overall, I don't think that experience could have gone any better. |
| * Safety: |
Overall, Quito is very safe as long as you know where to go and how to protect your things. It's very important to keep all belongings close to you and not easily accessible to thieves. Additionally, there are some parts of the city that the program directors don't recommend you go to. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would love to relive so many parts of this trip. It all went by so fast, and going back to be able to appreciate everything all over again sounds like a fantastic (although impossible) opportunity. |
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) |
I didn't have any budget programs, but it's very important to remember that you're always going to spend more than you think. Things might be generally cheap in Ecuador, but they add up. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $60 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat with your host families. Additionally, set aside a certain amount of money before the trip starts, and keep that budget throughout. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
While speaking English was decently common, we had a lot of opportunities on excursions to chat and discuss in Spanish. Additionally, the independent project put me in a place where no one spoke any English at all, so I got very comfortable with conversing in Spanish over the course of about a month. |
| 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? | Spanish 230 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | For this program, they give you access to a program called MangoLanguages that I highly recommend taking advantage of. Additionally, there's a site called Coffee Table Conversations that has some great podcasts to practice your listening and comprehension. |
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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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That I didn't need to stress so much about keeping up with the workload. It's far more possible that I thought by simply looking at the syllabus. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
