Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Difficult in the best ways, beautiful in its own way. Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/28/2012 to 05/14/2012 with

SIT Study Abroad: Senegal: Global Security and Religious Pluralism

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It is hard to write what I gained/learned from my experience abroad as I feel for awhile I will be figuring that out slowly. I learned a whole new language and culture. I learned people's stories. I gained experience in indepenent research and how to be resourceful and build relationships/contacts. I learned how to be aggresive with what I want in an academic sense. I gained understanding of a new world and of my own ability to adapt to new places. I learned how to be me in the context of a new culture, and how to relate to people regardless of cultural background. It was definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes themselves were not that academically challenging, aside from the ISP the last month. However, the experience was educational and the workshops were educational and I feel that is what the SIT program in Senegal is and should be about. It was a very educational experience just not in the traditional sense.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Although when I arrived I would not have given the administration this rating, as it is unorganized, slow, and priorities don't seem to exist, once I understood the cultural context within which the administration was functioning and once I got to understand the individuals themselves better I was able to understand how for their circumstances, in the context of Senegal, they did wonderful work.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had an amazing home, with an amazing family. The program did a good job giving us host families and helping us with individual housing for the ISP period.

* Food:

Food is much different, and the means of making and buying it are much different in Senegal. In terms of the program they provided us with a host family that fed us as any family would for breakfat and dinner each day, and the program provided us with a stipend to buy food for the meals our families were not responsible. This was a great aspect of the program. However food was sometimes a difficult aspect of the experience for most of us.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This was probably the most frustrating part of my experience. As all our education took place with the people in our program it made it hard to find ways to integrate. Leisure is not very existent within the culture and therefore activities in which I would usually meet people were non existent. However towards the end of the program I felt I had found a way to develop some deep relationships with local people. In terms of understanding the culture and adapting myself to it, I feel I was fairly integrated early on, it was the interpersonal relationships that were harder to tap into. Being a huge racial minority also made that difficult.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Heath Care in another country, like food in another country, will always be different. The program was very helpful if ever we needed help in regards to our health, but more frequently you are more likely to get the help you need if you take care of it on your own rather than ask them to do something about it for you. Any medical choices I made, or medical neglect I chose, was for my own personal reasons not a reflection of how well the program adressed health issues.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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 easy to live on a student's budget because of the country I was living in and the cost of living there. However, once I had medical expenses to deal with I lost a lot of money. For the most part, aside from the money I had to spend to get there and for the program, it was very minimal cost.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $30-40
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? be money conscious, find the cheap places to eat, be smart about what you buy and always challenge people if you think you are getting taken advantage of.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

In theory, they encouraged us to use the language, however they would often speak to us in English, and didn't require us to speak to eachother in the language and therefore as students were not comfortable with the language would not speak it. There were two languauge components, french and wolof, both were used to different levels.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Upper level French
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? From the beginning of the program only speak the language, regardless of how well you know it. Force yourself to talk to new people and be firm about your desire to learn the language, people want to help you if it seems like you are trying.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • I enjoyed the arts component, primarily dance in music.
  • I loved my family, and the cultural exposure it gave me.
  • I feel I was given the independence to fully dive into the culture, and explore.
* What could be improved?
  • Use of local language on the part of the program.
  • Less classroom time and more engaging activities, cultural workshops.
  • The program could also help with social integration, finding us ways to meet people.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Be forward! Get over yourself, and any fears you have, so you can get the most out of the people around you, and the place you are in. Don't be afraid to ask people favors, and to help you. Start DOING the things you are interested in from the start.