Nepal and India are not School...They are Places to Become an Adult...Go Be Somebody Past Review

By Rhys L (COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES., Carleton College) for

SIT Study Abroad: Nepal - Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I became even more confident, mature, and independent. If you want to make correct decisions about your future in this now global world, you need to see what the world has to offer. This doesn't mean that I will end up living somewhere outside the US. It means that I am more confident in the decisions that I make because I have a more informed, more complete understanding of how the world works.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Workload was low. Grading system was fine (I didn't care too much about grades, I was only getting pass/no pass credits with Carleton). Teaching methods were annoying and hilarious. Each lecturer had a unique lecture style. All of the academic staff had their own teaching styles (English, Pakistani, Indian, Dutch). Differences in educational systems is an irrelevant question. This program wasn't really school. It was an escape from school into another world. This is not to say that I didn't learn anything (I learned <-----------This Much---------->), but to say that it is not "school" learning.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Again, take this program if you want to get a different view on the world. Don't take this program if you want to party and drink (go to Europe), or if you want real school (stay in the US).
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	Tough to be vegetarian with your homestay family. Food quantity and quality was great. I was never hungry or disappointed with the food.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Excursion to Mustang, Nepal was amazing. ISP period was amazing. Homestay was amazing.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	It's pretty safe. Nepal just had a travel advisory lifted while I was there (end of 2011). There are so many tourists in Nepal - you are safe. I never felt threatened. But, in both India and Nepal, the amount of scamming is truly amazing. Don't trust anybody with any kind of interaction involving money. Learn to barter and to say "no" to people who try to give you something in exchange for money.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	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?	Almost zero. Food was provided by my homestay family and by my school. My only personal expenses were Christmas gifts. Even if I did have to spend money, it would've been fine because Nepal and India are really cheap places to leave. A meal costs $.50 - $1.00.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Spend lots of money. The exchange rate is so profitable that you should live like a king/queen. Barter with people. Don't think about prices in dollars but in rupees.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	None.
Language acquisition improvement?	Most people spoke English (including my homestay family). I learned Tibetan, which was only useful for a certain subset of the Nepali and Indian population. Hindi or Nepali may have been more helpful.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family Apartment Hotel Hostel
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The independent, experiential nature. The people in Nepal and India (which includes the SIT staff, my fellow students, the Tibetans, Indians, and Nepalis, and the other "Westerners" that I volunteered with.
* What could be improved?	The language program. More challenging academics.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Again, take this program if you want to get a different view on the world. Don't take this program if you want to party and drink (go to Europe), or if you want real school (stay in the US).