The best decision of my life Past Review
By A student (Davidson College) - abroad from 08/22/2020 to 12/09/2020 with
SIT Study Abroad: Panama - Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystems, and Biodiversity Conservation
I gained far more than I ever could have hoped for or anticipated. I feel much more confident in myself as a person navigating the world, I learned invaluable field research techniques, and I learned and experienced ways of life completely foreign from anything I ever knew.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff of this program are incredible people that I feel so honored to have gotten to know and work with. They are very important in their fields and also extremely kind, flexible, and knowledgable people. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
I am a vegetarian and it was no problem at all. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We got to experience authentic local culture constantly. Of course, as a student from the US, I didn't feel like I fit in 100% of the time because it is obvious I am not from Panama, but that was an important part of the experience as well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
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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 had the opportunity to practice whenever we wanted, but we were not pushed to do so if we weren't comfortable to or able. But there was plenty of opportunity to practice Spanish for those who were interested. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 260 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | The travel alarm clock is not necessary, and most things you can buy right away in Panama City (for better prices!) that you might not have room to bring from the US. |
