Best thing I've ever done, and you couldn't pay me to do it again! January 08, 2025
By A student (Integrative Biology, Rice University) - abroad from 09/02/2024 to 12/15/2024 with
SIT Study Abroad: Panama - Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystems, and Biodiversity Conservation
I gained an incredibly amount of knowledge and understanding inside and outside of the classroom. I felt challenged to look beyond the curriculum I'd been presented with at my home institution at the people and environments at the heart of tropical ecology. I was immersed in both local communities in Panama and in a community of SIT students which not only made me feel at home, but also safe and supported.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
A great mixture of rigor in the classroom and experiential learning! The first excursion (3 weeks of travel) is dedicated to the human ecology class, where you have a lot more free, unstructured time. The second excursion is geared towards comparative tropical ecology, which is very very structured but still integrates experiential learning well! Don't expect to learn a ton of Spanish in the classroom though-- the Spanish classes, while great, were only taught for two weeks of the program. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Dr. Aly Dagang, Yari, and Yuri are all amazing people that make SIT Panama what it is. They were incredibly supportive throughout the program, including during ISP. However, there were a couple issues on the program when students needed more support (i.e. phone being stolen) and struggled, but whenever the administration couldn't support someone, their fellow students stepped up. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living arrangements varied WILDLY during the program-- there were four total homestays and I don't know how many hostels and hotels. Even when the living conditions weren't what we take for granted in the U.S. (no AC, no hot water, shared rooms, no showers, etc), we were typically staying in the best living arrangements available in an area. The homestays were all wonderful and contributed to my integration into different areas, especially the homestay in Panama City. |
| * Food: |
The food was great throughout, though it could get a bit repetitive. Expect eggs, hojaldres (fried bread), or oatmeal for breakfasts and rice, beans or lentils, cabbage salad, and chicken or fish for lunch and dinner. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Integration was good throughout, though it definitely depended on the person. Some people made a big effort to integrate and practice their Spanish, which helped with integration, while others struggled more. I would definitely recommend studying Spanish before arriving (I did not), because most of my homestays were majority/all Spanish speakers. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any issues with healthcare, but several people on the program did. Their concerns were always addressed quickly and easily at local clinics/medical centers, but program staff support for medical issues could be better. Just be warned, there are English-speaking doctors available but sometimes only on certain days of the week or at certain clinics. |
| * Safety: |
No one on the program ever had any issues with safety, though one person did have their phone stolen. In general, if you follow basic safety principles (don't walk around alone in sketchy areas after dark, don't carry your phone in your back pocket, etc) you should be fine. Expect much more catcalling than in the U.S., but rarely ever threatening. |
| 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) |
It was very affordable most of the time-- I generally spent more (maybe $100/week) while in Panama City, which made up around 3.5 weeks of the program, but barely spent anything while on excursion. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan your ISP budget carefully-- we received about $1100 for just under a month of food, housing, and project expenses. Many people budgeted well and had money left over, which was really nice. |
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 |
Because of the homestay components, I frequently used Spanish at the beginning of the program. This aligned with the two weeks of Spanish classes. However, the second half of the program had very little emphasis on Spanish, and by the end we were all so focused on the academics that we had little time to practice or think about 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? | N/A |
| 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? | Definitely study up on conversational Spanish before going, and take every opportunity to use it with your homestay families. Anticipate peaking with your Spanish abilities about halfway through the program! However, if the language component is important to you there will be many opportunities to practice it. |
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? | If you're seriously thinking about this program, you already probably know this, but this program is EXHAUSTING. Amazing, but exhausting. The program is mostly travel based (2 3-week excursions and a month of ISP), so you rarely stay in a place for more than a week. Love it, you get 4 days. Hate it, you get 4 days. However exhausting it may be, it is very possible. The community you get from being around the people on the program so much is truly unique, and together and with the support of program staff, there is no need to be scared. Prepare for constant human interaction. And most of all, make sure not to get caught up in the academics-- especially during the second half of the program, so much of the program is structured academics and ISP, but remember to enjoy where you are. Take a breath. Look around at all the beauty Panama has to offer. |
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! |
