India: Challenging Yet Rewarding Past Review
By Molly H (Human Ecology, Middlebury College) for
SIT Study Abroad: India: Public Health, Policy Advocacy, and Community
I learned so much both academically and about myself. There was a great deal of "experiential learning" which I think was the most beneficial.
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. |
Because my program was based in Delhi all of my teachers were Indian. The Indian education system and teaching style is slightly different than those that I was use to back home, which took a little getting used to but that is to be expected with any study abroad experience. The grading system was sometimes unclear and at times seemed a bit arbitrary, it was difficult to understand why you had gotten point taken away for certain things. Hindi was a much stronger component of the program than I had initially believed and many more of the students had prior Hindi training which I did not have. At first this made it quite difficult but with time it became easier. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
THeir knowledge about the hose country was phenomenal, having grown up there and spent their entire lives there. The program was very small, only 18 students which I liked. The administration was somewhat accessible but not always as accessible or receptive as I would have liked. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with a family is always hard and at times it was difficult to adjust to having two smaller siblings always wanting to know what I was doing and looking over my shoulder at the computer but it was a great experience. My program and living with a family with small children made for little nightlife. I was treated as a member of the family. |
| * Food: |
The food was amazing, I had friends who were both lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant and they were fine. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The excursions were great and the group dynamic was wonderful. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
You just need to be smart but it is safe if you are aware of what you are doing. A lot of students got stomach related issues and a few ended up in hospitals but mostly just because of dehydration, nothing serious. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Practicing the language with your host family and learning as much of the alphabet as you can before arriving will be really helpful. Most people speak english but it definitely helps with bargaining and getting around to have your Hindi phrases. The majority of the time fluency in Hindi was not required and a combination of hand gestures, broken english and hindi words could get me by. I was surprised, but you really do learn to understand what people mean even if you don't speak their 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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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? | You have to be very easy going and willing to "roll with the punches" India isn't the easiest place to live but if you're open minded and don't go in with too many expectations you can have an amazing experience. |
