Geoscience in the Himalaya - by a Geographer August 28, 2022
By Carter G (Environmental Geoscience, Valdosta State University) - abroad from 06/13/2022 to 08/01/2022 with
SIT Study Abroad: Nepal - Geoscience in the Himalaya
During my seven weeks in Nepal for the Geoscience in the Himalaya program hosted by SIT Study Abroad during the summer of 2022 the program traveled everywhere from Kathmandu to Beni where we walked along the road to Kagbeni and back. On the way from Beni to Kagbeni our class was Earth Science Field Methods which was taught by a great professor, and much of the walk up was looking and learning about outcrops. Being able to walk all day, with frequent long stops, in the humid heat is important. On the way back down it was much faster and easter, this class was designed to help you learn how to be in the field "on your own" with lunch being held together, occasional classes together, and nights being spent together in the guest houses (hostel/hotel). They did this by grouping us together and having us complete a project for our Geohazards in the Himalaya class. During this time for these two field-based classes, there were some class style lectures and papers/projects that would be expected of any other class. I will admit these were usually given with little time to complete the project, so anticipate a few all-nighters while doing this study abroad. The last class we had, our Field Study Project (FSP), was set up to be entirely on our own, however you could work with a partner and you worked alongside a professor as an advisor who you would schedule video calls with and email, etc. This is very similar to a thesis project, where you would pick an interest and either the advisor/professor you were paired with would have you design your entire project and complete it how you wanted, or they would work with you to have a project they have that you would fulfill. My partner and I worked on our own project with the aid of an advisor and it went great, I highly recommend staying with or near other students as it made it easier both mentally with being in a foreign land, but there were always fellow students to help with academics. This entire Study Abroad was great and I would do it all over again given the chance. I will admit, though it is called "Geoscience" in the Himalaya, it is primarily "Geology" in the Himalaya. My Bachelors is in Environmental Geoscience, and my focus is in geography, and while I have taken just under half of my studies in geology, there are several classes that I did not have to take that made my time in Nepal harder (such as Sed. Strat., etc.). There was also a hydrology focuses major who attended who had some struggles, too. We both made good grades at the end and we were able to still participate, it was just harder for those who are not geology focused. The program was well set up with providing us food and accommodations, and any time they did not provide us with lunch or dinner, they would give us a stipend to "fend for ourselves" which also helped us prepare for our Field Study Project, which we were also given a stipend for accommodations, food, and travel which appeared a fair amount that lasted the timeframe we were in the field on our own. In the end, this is a fantastic program and you will learn a lot and visit an amazing country and meet so many incredible people, most of whom are eager to practice their English with you and share their culture with you. I cannot recommend this program enough.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I will admit, though it is called "Geoscience" in the Himalaya, it is primarily "Geology" in the Himalaya. My Bachelors is in Environmental Geoscience, and my focus is in geography, and while I have taken just under half of my studies in geology, there are several classes that I did not have to take that made my time in Nepal harder (such as Sed. Strat., etc.). While a hydrology major and I both made good grades at the end and we were able to still participate, it was just harder for those who are not geology focused. I learned a lot, but there was a lot I was expected to know before that I had never learned not being a geology major. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was incredible and they set up the program well to slowly integrate us and prepare us for our final class, Field Study Project, where we would be on our own completing a thesis of sorts that they called our FSPs. They were always helpful answering questions, helping in the new country, and if/when we were sick helping to make sure we were taken care of. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
They picked great guest houses (hostel/hotel like stays) that were definitely great for the areas we were in. |
| * Food: |
They provided us with good food or with stipends and made sure we had snack and tea and never felt hungry. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt the program did well to help us feel integrated in the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
They only issue I faced was some common sickness experiences, however any time someone was sick and the few times some people felt they needed a doctor, everything was handled very rapidly and seriously. They never questioned anyone out of feeling like they needed a doctor or medicine, just helped them get what they needed, even if that included just some rest in the guest house for the day. |
| * Safety: |
The team and the country felt extremely safe. The only real hazards I ever felt were the geohazards which they constantly had an administrator, professor, or guide watching for any signs of safety issues with EAPs. |
| 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) |
Nepal is very affordable in this program for students. I had a lot of issues that came up dealing with money before this program and was incredibly nervous, however everything worked out will. If you deviate from the stipends a little bit and buy some souvenirs but not too many you could pull out $500 and never have to go to an ATM for the entire seven (7) weeks of the program. If you did not buy anything extra ad never strayed from the stipend you would not have to pull out anything. Of course anywhere you go you can spend up to however much you want, but I would say $100/week is very generous and extremely doable with this program in this country. (Need cash, cards not accepted in most places). |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $60 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Bargaining is a part of the culture, for many Westerners it is not common and is part of the hardest part buying things in Nepal. Work on bargaining skills for your time here. Some places have fixed prices, and you do not bargain for food, but taxis and most places you need to be comfortable bargaining. |
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 |
They gave us about 2 hours total of Nepali language lecture, to help us know some basics to use around and "at dinner" but most of the country spoke English and while they encouraged you to use Nepali, it was not detrimental to your survival. |
| 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? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None in Nepali |
| 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? | Currently Rosetta Stone and Duolingo do not provide Nepali, perhaps flashcards or small Nepali films could help. |
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? |
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? | I strongly recommend those who want to prepare themselves for this program go on a field trip with their geology department to learn some field techniques, take a maymester if possible as this program was very much like taking three maymesters at a time, and maybe some geology classes such as geomorphology or sedimentation and stratigraphy class. You do not need any of these, but if you are looking to get an idea of what is expected of you or prepare for the program this is a good place to start. Being overly physically fit or being an avid hiker/walker is not necessary. While physical stamina is important, it was designed to focus on the outcrops and learning, with only one day being particularly long distance with minimal outcrop stops, but we did walk an approximate total of 130 miles over the course of the entire seven (7) weeks. (This is according to my watch, so be mindful this includes every step I took including to the bathroom at night, etc. not a collection of on the road walking.) |
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. |
