The worst of times and the best of times: A semester of extremes Past Review

By A student (Sociology and Anthropology., Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/02/2012 to 12/15/2012 with

SIT Study Abroad: Senegal: Global Security and Religious Pluralism

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

This is a hard question, because I know I learned a lot that I am still processing, and figuring out how it will transfer to my life at Middlebury. Feeling uncomfortable, becoming more independent, making cross-cultural connections and experiencing something COMPLETELY new whether it be good or bad, is invaluable.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I felt like I made as much effort as I could to become integrated in my host community, but of course language and racial barriers were insurmountable.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Everyone who as sick on my program was taken care of by a professional doctor.
* Safety:	The most important thing when it comes to safety is using common sense. Five girls on my program including myself had something stolen from them, two of those by men with machetes. I followed simple precautions such as never traveling alone at night, and only using public transportation during the day (taking taxis after sunset). I wore a purse that went over my shoulder, and didn't hold much money on me at any one time. I felt safe in my home and with my selegalese friends.
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)	Compared to the US, Senegal is not an expensive country to live in. Most of my expenses came from seeking out western food and restaurants.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	about $50-$100 a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Keep a good track of where you are spending your money. Get comfortable using car rapides and the bus system early on, so you don't need to spend money on cabs. Eat dinner with your host family as often as possible. Find a fruit stand man/woman who likes you and doesn't rip you off!! Keep your money in a few different locations so if it gets stolen, you didn't loose everything. Only travel with a small amount of money on your body.

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
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?	I had to do 3 semesters of french (I think...)
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?	Get involved. Don't sit in the corner of your homestay--engage your family in conversation!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	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?	my homestay family travelling ISP
* What could be improved?	classes program office organization listening to student's needs and ideas of improvement, and taking them seriously
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I am lucky to be at Middlebury, an incredible academically stimulating institution. Other school experiences are not going to be the same. Also, my experience doesn't need to be joyful and easy and happy all of the time to be meaningful and important.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Research Methods and Ethics
Course Department:	NA
Instructor:	Papa Bouna Fall, SIT professor
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was a complete waste of my time. My professor was a business professor, and had no experience or credentials in anthropological research and ethics. Any information that was shared was incredibly general, and often contradictory. Students were disrespectful and uninterested. No reading or other learning methods were used, other than the lecture format.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I am not even trying to transfer credits for this course, because I feel like I did not learn any useful information, and it was not in any way of the standards of Middlebury courses.

Course Name/Rating:	Beginning Wolof
Course Department:	Na
Instructor:	Fatou Kandji, SIT professor
Instruction Language:	French/Wolof
Comments:	I feel so lucky that I got the opportunity to learn a bit of the Wolof lanugage. It opened a lot of doors for me in my relationships with Senegalese, and overal participation in the society and culture. Class was well organized and structured, homework kept me on task and was useful, and my professor was engaging and professional.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I did not ask to transfer this credit either, because I wasn't sure where it would fit in to my distribution requirements. I will ask my advisor for his opinion.