Culturally immersive program that made me want to learn so much more. Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/03/2019 to 12/16/2019 with
SIT Study Abroad: Nepal - Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples
It really helped me put being a US Citizen into perspective. I am incredibly grateful to have that. I loved being in Nepal and I made some incredible friends. I learned a lot about religion, and global politics and I am now passionate about politics in a way I never thought I would be.
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. |
This program is all about what you put into it. If you do all the readings it will be a decent amount of work but it is not overwhelming. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was absolutely amazing. They talked through any issues we had together until you could decide on a solution together. They were great at communicating with us and always being there. They were tough and also loving. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The arrangements were very solid given where in the world we were. You definitely need to have an open mind when headed to Nepal. |
| * Food: |
The food at the program house was amazing and our homestay families made sure we were always fed. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There is no way to ever be fully integrated, but I think we were given the resources to be able to make our own connections. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The program was very helpful with me in my stay at a local hospital. The hospital itself was clean and lovely, but it will never be quite the same as a stay in a US hospital. They wanted me to stay longer than I needed to - this was thought because they would get our insurance money. That was a bit awkward, but other than that, everything was handled great. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe at all times. I wouldn't go walking around by myself at 2am, but I wouldn't to that anywhere. I did get catcalled a lot, but never in an aggressive way. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Yes, I LOVED this program. I love the staff, I loved the opportunities and I was really grateful we had local students also doing classes with us. |
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) |
Very easily - things were much less expensive. I could easily go weeks without needing to spend anything. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $20 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take advantage of the home-cooked meals from your family and stick to local restaurants as you can get a meal for 7 people for the equivalent of $11 |
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 |
Yes, living with the homestay family and the area where we were forced us to use the language. |
| 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? | 0 |
| 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? | Always keep speaking. Speak as much as possible |
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? |
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 wish I knew to bring an umbrella |
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! |
