Opportunity of a lifetime Past Review

By (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Barnard College) - abroad from 01/13/2013 to 05/10/2013 with

SIT Study Abroad: IHP - Health and Community: Globalization, Culture and Care (Fall 2)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Saw the most amazing places and met incredible people of all walks of life. Definitely worthwhile, changed my perspective in many ways and helped me to make decisions about my academic focus.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses themselves are not particularly rigorous, but all experiences in and out of the classroom are part of the learning process and can be very intense and rigorous.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

All of the homestays were amazing! Great job matching students to families.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Great perspective from homestay families, but limited contact with locals beyond the program, especially local students.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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)

Definitely depends on how much shopping you want to do and how much you spend on the vacation week, but if you only plan on paying for necessities, it is very low cost.

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
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • small community feel
  • host families
  • case study opportunities
* What could be improved?
  • increased site visits
  • improved course lectures
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Alone time to decompress is pretty uncommon - be ready to be in a group of students almost all the time, and be mentally prepared to have very very long and sometimes intense days of classes, guest lectures and site visits.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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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.