Amazing February 17, 2024
By Samuel L (Restoration Ecology, Denison University) - abroad from 06/15/2023 to 07/25/2023 with
SIT Study Abroad: Indonesia - Biodiversity and Conservation in Bali and Borneo
I learned a lot, I learned about other cultures, religions, foods, architecture, nature, and ecology, I could go on and on about all that I gained from this program.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The director of the program is amazing, all the staff are wonderful as well. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everything felt professional and well thought out and planned. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
You get to stay in many different beautiful and unique locations. |
| * Food: |
Amazing, and you'll never have a bland meal while you're there. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
People in Indonesia were all extremely nice. I felt welcomed the whole time I was there. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The director brings you probiotics every day, your given mosquito coils, and much more to help ensure your health. Hospitals aren't as good as in the states but that can be expected. |
| * Safety: |
Not once did I feel unsafe or at threat of anything. Admittedly at times, I felt safer in Indonesia than in the United States because I knew I wasn't gonna be a victim of a mass shooting in Indonesia. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Yes, the program was amazing. My only issue is that I was the only guy to go on the trip so it made it a little harder to make close male friends I guess. Everyone else had a roommate except me and it made me kind of envious in a way. |
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) |
Extremely easily, one of the cheapest places I've visited in my life. One U.S dollar is around 15 thousand Indonesia Rupees, and you could expect your average meal from a street vendor to be around 30 thousand Indonesian Rupee. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably around 15 dollars a week. This includes buying cigarettes and snacks which in the United States could cost over 30 dollars a week easily. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Indonesia is a bartering country, expect to barter if need be. Unless it's food, most vendors will charge you more than the average price so be careful about that. |
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 |
It encouraged it a fair amount, but I will say Indonesian is the world's easiest language to learn no matter your first language. No matter how proficient you feel in language classes, I promise you you'll do fine in this one. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| 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? | You didn't have to complete any courses prior to departure. |
| 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? | Go out and talk with the locals, one of the best days I had there I stopped at a local coffee shop and sat and talked with locals around the same age as me for hours. I still chat with some of them via text message to this day. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | 0 |
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 do need to pack a lot but not close to the amount that they recommend. You're gonna be traveling around a lot so it will be nice to have a little less stuff so it's easier to transport. Also, the Borneo portion of the study abroad is amazing, but intense as well. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
