Adventure of a lifetime. January 27, 2026
By Emily M (Modern Cities, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/31/2025 to 12/13/2025 with
SIT Study Abroad: IHP - Cities in the 21st Century: People, Planning and Politics
i learned so much about so many people, cultures, histories, and places.
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 program had interesting classes and professors where I learned many new things and had many in-depth conversations. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
In some countries the staff was great but I did have difficulty with some staff in different cities but their are many supportive home-country faculty as well. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had a bad experience with a host parent in one of the countries but in other countries the living arrangements worked fine. |
| * Food: |
The food in each country was good but I had host families who weren't the best at cooking so it was rough at times. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I got to learn a lot about the locals and people around me. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I might have chosen a different set of countries. |
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) |
SIT supported me well with many finances but there were still some hidden costs but overall it was fine. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100-$150 |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 202. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Who you go abroad with can really shape your experience. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
