Amazing Paradigm-Shifting Program Past Review
By Mallory.Feldman.11 (PSYCHOLOGY., Tufts University) - abroad from 08/26/2014 to 12/08/2014 with
SIT Study Abroad: Nepal - Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples
I gained an understanding of the worlds diversity, I learned about the benefit of problematization, i learned open-mindedness, patience and will-power. This program helped me grow as a student, a friend, and a human-being.
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 experiential approach allowed me to learn in a way I had never learned before and to a degree I had never experienced before! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff of this program was excellent at developing our patience and open-mindedness in a country were logistics are not always a reliable source of sanity or stability. They were kind and patient with us as well! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The home-stays were hands-down one of my favorite parts of this program. |
| * Food: |
I really enjoyed the food, it made all of us sick at some point but that was a function of the location not the quality of the food. Obviously in this part of the world it was not very diverse but what we had was great. Very easy to function as a vegetarian. Food was a way of connecting with host families and friends - it was available and consistent. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Between the host-families and opportunities we had to connect with people I was able to recognize people on the streets, do my own networking and function within/ learn from the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Whenever I was ill, my program staff was there with advice or recommendations. Medications were easy to find and the health clinic was excellent as well as local hospitals and clinics. I know others on my program who used these facilities more often found them distressing and difficult but I personally did not have these experiences. I mostly self-medicated. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safer in this country than I do in New York. As long as you follow instructions, have a phone on you and don't stay out too long after dark the city feels extremely safe. |
| 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) |
A small amount of money by US standards goes a LONG way in Nepal. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 20 dollars max |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Because a lot of food is provided, it is very easy to spend basically nothing during the week and just pay for lunches on the weekend. It's fun to go out and socialize or get tea but those things don't always necessitate money. The most money I spent on this trip was on food/tea/gifts |
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 learned a lot but didn't always use it! We got to use it a lot in our host families but outside of that most interviews I did were conducted in English and language classes were put on hold during excursions for obvious reasons. |
| 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? | French III |
| 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? | Use it as much as you can. Tibetan is a difficult language that requires constant usage to really grasp. What you put in you get out and it's an unbelievably beautiful language and few words go a long way! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 10+ |
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 feel like everyone has different expectations going into a program like this and it's pretty difficult to say I wish I knew something before that I do now because that learning is where my most significant self-growth happened. I would have appreciated understanding what it means to be in a developing country as opposed to an under-developed country. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
