Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Busy, amazing, incredible and worthwhile. Past Review

By (Economics and Geography, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/20/2012 to 12/14/2012 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
SO much. The comparative aspect helped me to learn a lot about myself and the US.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Not hard in the academic sense, But challenging in other ways.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Most of the homestays were INCREDIBLE!!! Had one issues, but they are taking that family out of rotation.

* Food:

Try everything. The only issue is lack of skim milk and the sheer quantity of food you needed to consume (to not insult your homestay)

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

They did very well for the constraints of the program (only 5 weeks per country)

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Had to get vaccines but was pretty easy

* Safety:

Felt super 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)

Varied by place and how much you wanted to do. Brazil is stupid expensive. Budget more than you think, there are always amazing things to do.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100ish
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? try and pack for lunches if you can. It will save a ton

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Comparative Aspect
  • Homestays
  • Site visits and guest lecttures
* What could be improved?
  • Better integrating place into the academic classes.
  • better screening of some host families
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Pack lighter, and have more money

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 Adventurer
The 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Politics and Development
Course Department: Political Science
Instructor: Chris Wescott
Instruction Language:
Comments: Not super challenging and could have done a lot more to integrate the location. Class participation was excellent
Credit Transfer Issues: