Had a good time - but program not for me January 06, 2024

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

This program was not as rigorous as I was expecting. We learned a lot from being immersed in the culture and place of course but the classroom portion was not very rigorous. We had interesting guest lecturers who had a lot of knowledge to share but no formal assignments aside from the ISP.

On-site administration of your program

The program staff were awesome and super helpful throughout the program. It was clear that they cared about us a lot. They were able to teach us about the local customs and norms which was pivotal.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing was a mix of homestays, hotels, resorts, motels and beach fales. We had what we needed at all of the accommodations. My personal favorite were the beach fales - super magical!

The Samoan diet is very starchy and meat-heavy. Being a pescetarian was sometimes challenging at people's homes but there were almost always fish options and/or vegetarian options at restaurants. There are not a ton of vegetables in the traditional diet. We did have some delicious fresh local fruit.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Throughout the semester we were able to interact a lot with Samoan people. Through field trips, guest lecturers, accommodations and getting around we met tons of Samoans and were able to learn a lot from them. The homestays were a great opportunity to be a part of a Samoan family and those were valuable experiences as well. Even though the classes were at the local university, we were isolated to our own classroom and did not get a chance to interact with the local Samoan students very much. Since it is a fairly homogeneous country we did stick out and it was hard to fully integrate because of that fact. During the ISP period we got the chance to speak with many Samoans through our research which was an awesome opportunity.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Healthcare in Samoa is fairly different than the healthcare that I am used to at home and from my travels. While it is a lot more accessible in financial terms than the US for example, there are also barriers like availability of doctors.

The city felt very safe in some ways and not so safe in others. I was able to walk alone during the day without an excess of concern but I would have to be on guard because of the dogs and verbal harassment from passing vehicles. I wouldn't have felt comfortable walking alone at night. For female-identifying students I would recommend preparing yourself for a significant amount of cat-calling and unwanted attention. These were mostly issues in the capital city Apia and its nearby towns. In other ways it feel safe however and people were happy to give directions or advice etc.

It was an incredible opportunity and a beautiful place to live but the program structure was very challenging for me. There were certainly amazing times and trips but overall the program felt both very structured and lacked the independence I wanted but also was sometimes a bit boring and was not always as intellectually stimulating as I think it could have been. The local people were very kind overall but I did have a hard time in the city being a female and trying to walk around alone. I think the program could have been more academically rigorous but perhaps would be a good fit for someone who has never gone abroad before. There was a good amount of opportunities to learn about and participate in the local culture which was great.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It was very easy to budget. SIT provided us with everything we needed during the program. During the ISP period we were given a budget that if you spent it wisely covered food as well as souvenirs / activities etc.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

It was encouraged but it was kind of up to each individual student how much they decided to use it. I had fun trying to speak to taxi drivers and locals in Samoan.

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• Other
• Host Family
• Hotel

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Americans

• The location
• Cultural immersion
• The local people

• The classes
• The structure of the program