Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Hard but worth it Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/23/2017 to 05/08/2017 with

SIT Study Abroad Nepal: Development, Gender, and Social Change in the Himalaya

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Got to see how most of the world lives, got experience writing proposals and doing my own research.

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.

Despite the often boring lectures and cantankerous academic director, this program was worthwhile, due primarily to the amazing language teachers, Nepali culture, and beautiful environment (in the Himalayas, at least).

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The academic director was mean, unhelpful and seemed not to care about students. The program center is nice though, and the staff there is incredible.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Most students, including me had very loving host families. Definitely upper-class Nepali families.

* Food:

Food provided by the program (for lunch) was typically very good, but sometimes a bit bland.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Between the intensive Nepali language instruction and living with Nepali families, you become very engrained.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

CIWEC hospital was great and Mina, the dean of students, is very concerned with students' heath. Be prepared to get some stomach issues though.

* Safety:

Felt very safe, despite standing out as a foreigner. Despite its history of political turmoil, Nepal is seemingly a very peaceful place, and "guest is god."

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

(maybe) The director was really a bummer and the class days were long. If there was a new director and some restructuring then 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $15
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Bargain everything. Even if you think you are getting a good price, you're still probably getting ripped off.

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

I would say that language was the primary academic component of this semester.

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? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 200 level class
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? Quizlet, talking with homestay fam, and randos. Nepalis love that you're learning their language.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Language teachers
  • Nepali culture
  • Excursions
* What could be improved?
  • Academic Director
  • Lectures
  • Less class time more field time (pre ISP)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Language is a really huge part of this program.

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 Adventurer
The 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Development and social change seminar
Course Department:
Instructor: Guest lecturers and Dan Putnam
Instruction Language: English
Comments: We learned a lot about Nepal in this course but lecturers were often long-winded and got boring. The academic director's, Dan Putnam, lectures were particularly hard to follow. It was neat to learn from Nepali academics however. If you are into development studies per se, from an anthropological perspective, set your expectations low and theory is really only touched on in this course.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Nepali Language
Course Department:
Instructor: Mina Rana, Chandra Rana, Sanjib Pokhrel, Sadhana Karmacharya
Instruction Language: Nepali (mostly)
Comments: This course was very challenging (at least 30 new vocab words a day) and the teachers, particularly Mina, had high expectations from students. The "gurus" however, were all incredible people and very good at their jobs. This was by far the most demanding class, so be prepared to make a lot of quizlets and take risks. Also prepare for four hours of language instruction every morning. It was tough but incredibly rewarding as you are able to learn an incredible amount of Nepali in only 2 months before ISP.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Field Methods
Course Department:
Instructor: Dan Putnam
Instruction Language:
Comments: As there weren't really clear lines between what class was what, it's somewhat hard to say how this class was, other than that Dan's lectures were elementary and uninspiring. Some Nepali professors, like Ran Chhetri, had good insights. The excursions were good at giving us field experience.
Credit Transfer Issues: