Mongolia, where we rode horses to class and lived as a nomad Past Review
By Jacob Stanley (DePauw University) - abroad from 02/04/2013 to 05/24/2013 with
SIT Study Abroad Mongolia and Siberia: Nomadism, Geopolitics, and the Environment
It was totally worth it. The first person learning combined with a month long independent project was a game changer for me and allowed me to take charge of my education. This program is so adventurous , its not a drink your way through Europe experience. You will have stories for years to tell about your time in Mongolia.
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 information was all first person. We had almost no textbooks (other than our language book) so it was amazing to hear directly from people/experts who were engaged and actually doing the things they lectured about |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Director and all her staff were so helpful in transitioning us life in Mongolia. The sense of community within our small program was wonderful, many of us stayed in contact with one another after we left. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The home stays were most beneficial part of the program. We lived in with an urban family and in dorms while studying in the capital city. However the most exciting parts were our trips into the countryside where we stayed with Nomadic Herders in gers (Yurts). We even rode horseback to class some days |
| * Food: |
The traditional Mongolia diet is not my favorite, but all the food in classroom and especially in the city was wonderful. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everything we did was involved with local people or was an event put on by the professional. We saw so many cultural attractions it was hard to keep track: throat singing, the birthplace of Genghis Kahn, 800 year old Buddhist Monasteries, herders, and we as just interacting with people in city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
A few of us got sick but there was always someone on the staff that offered us help and were able to nurse us through the normal stomach aches and pains. |
| * Safety: |
We did all sorts of exciting and potentially dangerous things like horseback riding, taking the trans Siberian railroad, traveling on dirt track roads, etc. However our only serious injury was someone playing basketball in the city. He was easily and quickly treated for his sprained ankle and got crutches. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The landscape combined with the open spaces is such a breathtaking experience its hard to find a comparisons. It is definitely big sky country, but almost no trees and fences. |
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) |
The exchange rate was very good. I spend well under what SIT said we would need. Even traveling after the program ended was very affordable. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 40-80 dollars |
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 |
We used the language almost everyday. When we were in the countryside we had to use Mongolia or Russian. In the city you can get by with English. |
| 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? | high school Spanish |
| 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? | Learn words for how to ride a horse and be able to get basic instructions on how to ride in Mongolian. |
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? | How hard it is to get packages back and forth to the US. When you are in the rural homestay you are really living with and close to animals. It is also one of the reasons I still love goats. |
