Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Challenging/Demanding... BUT Very Worthwhile and Transformative Past Review

By (Trinity University) - abroad from 08/22/2016 to 12/09/2016 with

SIT Study Abroad: IHP - Cities in the 21st Century: People, Planning and Politics (Fall 2)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It's tough to put this in a box... I learned so much. Very worthwhile. I learned from people impacted by urban issues and mixed that experience with academia, which is a really powerful combination.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The program was really rigorous, and I would only recommend it for people who are dedicated to work - even when that sometimes means less time exploring the cities.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

There are different country coordinators at each location, so the program sometimes felt inconsistent. But, hey, all about adapting and learning about the culture and way of running things.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved the homestays! It made my semester so memorable. How sweet is it to have 3 moms around the world.

* Food:

The homestay food is sort of not up to the program, but they arrange dietary needs well. Also communicating with a homestay family can really help food arrangements. The stipends for lunch were always plenty, but i am generally a thrifty person.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I busted my knee, and our fellow was there to skype and see the damage (bless her) and quickly arranged for an IHP assistant to take me to the hospital and translate for me to make the experience less intimidating.

* Safety:

I didn't really feel safe most of the time this semester. I always felt safe at home though. The safety isn't IHP's fault at all -- it's much larger/systemic, so i can't blame the program. They gave safety briefing at every place, which was really helpful. I don't think the men in our group ever felt super worried, but that's their privilege. As a female, I was always on watch for both theft and sexual assault. The machismo culture in Buenos Aires really fuels street harassment (which is even scarier when not totally sure what they're saying), and Cape Town was even more dangerous. The IHP pair rule definitely makes sense for safety, though it did fee annoying at times. But nothing too serious (followed home but went into store and he left, cornered at a club) ever happened to me. Anything that did happen (previous incidents) happened off of IHP class hours.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

This program really fueled my fire for social justice and made me think about issues i hadn't thought about before or issues I had thought about but with a different light. It was challenging and at times I felt drained, but that's also part of my personality where I have to give 100% to everything.

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)

We are really privileged American's travelling through the global south, and the US dollar conversion reflects identity privilege. Things weren't objective cheap -- that could be offensive to local people -- but they were cheap in the eyes of American dollar conversion. We have transportation passes and breakfast and dinner provided and lunch money, so there really isn't much left.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $15
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? In our group, there were about half really thrifty people and half of people who were less concerned with money. If you don't want to spend, you don't have to and there will be other people in the same boat.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

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

  • Other
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?
  • approachable staff
  • host families
  • learning community (even when it was challenging)
* What could be improved?
  • grading was tough and felt subjective at times
  • more input for roommate choices
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I was never looking for a clubbing in Spain style semester, but I wihs I had known we had classes every weekday from 8:30-5 or so. It was a tough adjustment after being in college, and sometimes the weeks felt long.

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!