Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An Unforgettable, Eye-Opening, 3-for-1 Program January 10, 2025

By (Human Rights, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/28/2024 to 12/10/2024 with

SIT Study Abroad: IHP Human Rights - Movements, Power, and Resistance

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to analyze more effectively, think more critically, and validated the importance of organizing with hope. It was definitely a worthwhile experience.

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.

I learned so much through this program. It is hard to put in to words how much I have changed as a result of this experience.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The staff in each country were fantastic and unique in their own ways. I felt that I could go to each staff member if I needed support of any kind, and I was able to form good friendships with multiple of the student support staff members. As for the professors, we did not get to spend as much time with them as we did with the country staff, but I still felt that I was able to get to know them and learn a lot from them.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Most of this program was in home stays, along with portions where the entire cohort was staying together in hostels. It was great to have such a connection to local families through the home stays, but also have time to bond as a group while living together.

* Food:

The food was delicious, but it was hard to be vegetarian in some spaces. I chose to be flexible with my vegetarianism during this program, especially during the homestays, which made it a bit easier for me.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Despite the intense schedule of this program, I still felt that I was able to connect with the local culture of each country. This in part was due to the home stay aspect, but also because a lot of our class time was spent meeting with local organizers.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

A lot of people in my program got sick during this program, and I was one of the few who did not have to go to the clinic for the duration of the trip. The staff members were very supportive of these needs, though. Especially in Nepal, staff members would take students to the clinic in the very early morning or very late at night as it was needed. I did have to get vaccinated for Japanese encephalitis and other things before this program. There was malaria risk where I was, but I did not have to take medication for it as we were not in the malaria risk areas for longer than a few hours.

* Safety:

The country coordinators, program director, and traveling professor worked very hard to keep us safe on this program. I was very grateful for the program directors transparency especially throughout our traveling in this program.

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

I learned so much about the complexity society, and became more grounded in the feeling of humanity in these studies. When studying international relations, it is easy to feel disconnected and disillusioned by the grandness of all of the theories, but this program brought it back to earth for me. I also made some amazing friends all over the world and the country as a result of this program, which I am extremely grateful for.

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 were given a nice stipend throughout this program within in country for meals. The length that this stipend would go depended on each country, but I was able to have most of my meals in a week covered by the program.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? This depended on the country. The most expensive was probably around $60 for a few weeks, which included a few lunches, coffee, and gym entry fees.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Save up your money on the debit card given during the New York orientation! I was able to use some of that money when we were at the end of our program in Chile. Also, if you need to go to the gym as I did, maximize outdoor running options that are free. You can also bounce around gyms and get good deals for short periods. Communicate with the country team about this and they will help you!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

This depended on the country. The language I used most was Spanish, but I also learned a bit of Arabic. I learned very little Nepali, but we were encouraged to use it whenever we could.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? I have completed the Wellesley College Mandarin Chinese language program prior to this trip, but I did not use it on this program.
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Pay attention during the language crash course sessions!

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
  • Host Family
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?
  • I loved the people that I was able to connect with. The organizers, the educators, the local staff, my host families, my fellow students, and every random interaction made this program so meaningful for me.
  • I appreciated the classroom setting being very mobile in this program. I felt that I was able to have productive conversations and was comfortable enough to ask many questions.
  • I also loved the multicountry aspect of this program. It was such a unique experience to get to spend this time in multiple countries and make so many connections in such a short amount of time and at such a young age.
* What could be improved?
  • There was very little free time on this program, and I think that I underestimated how long we would be in class. We didn't have weekends in most countries. I understand the importance of being on the move in order to gain as much knowledge as we could, but I also think it would have been nice to have a little bit more down time.
  • I would have appreciated more of a discussion of climate change as a human rights issue.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I would have appreciate a bit of a more of a understanding of what exactly we would be doing on this program, as we didn't get any information until we arrived in each country. This resulted in my becoming a much more flexible, which I did appreciate, but I would have liked to know before I went that it was going to be okay going in without much information.

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!