A family of 17! February 18, 2023

By (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/26/2023 to 12/08/2023 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?
I learned a whole new discipline, gained long life friends, and had my eyes opened to whole new ways of being. It was an indispensable life experience.

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.

This program was fantastic academically. A experiential learning curriculum that was truly based in the principles of democratic education

* 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?

* Safety:

Cape Town was not the safest and people from the program experienced a variety of unsafe situations. I was also pickpocketed in Barcelona

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

This program was perfect way to integrate and gain understanding of a variety of different cultures. The curriculum, home-stays, and intellectual curious group combined for an experience where I was simultaneously familiarizing myself with the cities, building a whole new social network, and learning a host of new concepts.

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)

The stipends had to be stretched.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~$50

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

  • Americans
* 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? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The group I was traveling with
  • The Professor and coordinators
  • The learning outings
* What could be improved?
  • Stipend
  • Barcelona faculty
  • pre-trip communicaiton
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It is a rollercoaster

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Contemporary Urban Issues

Course Department: Urban Studies
Instructor: Juan Manuel Arbona
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Juan is an amazing person as well as an awesome professor. This course is primarily based around one large comparative project. This project is incredibly daunting, but also extremely rewarding.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Culture and Society of World Cities (C&S)

Course Department: Anthropology
Instructor: James Rodriguez, Mónica Farias, Jaime Palomera Zaidel, Dominique Somda
Instruction Language: Englkisj
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Urban Politics and Development (P+D)

Course Department: DVST
Instructor: Juan Manuel Arbona
Instruction Language: english
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Urban Planning and Sustainable Environments

Course Department: Urban Studies
Instructor: Melissa García-Lamarca
Instruction Language: English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues: