Learning, Stress, and Some Good New Friends. Past Review
By A student (Hamilton College) - abroad from 08/23/2019 to 12/05/2019 with
SIT Study Abroad: South Africa - Multiculturalism and Human Rights
I learned a lot about race and was forced to consider how my actions contribute to racism and white privilege. This was extremely valuable and I got more comfortable with my opinions and speaking about race.
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. |
The academic part of the program, while extremely interesting, was not particularly challenging. There were not many assignments and I felt that I did not need to push myself as hard as I generally do at my home institution. This allowed me to focus more on the experience itself and learn from my experiences which was valuable. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program staff in South Africa were extremely helpful in responding to my questions and concerns, though it seemed like the communication between on site administrators and people in the US was limited which led to conflicting information at times. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host families and felt like I was able to bond with them in ways that I had not expected. The largest issue I had was having to find our own housing for the last month of the program and it felt like we did not really know how to go about that. |
| * Food: |
I have dietary restrictions and I was always able to find something to eat. I was disappointed a bit that we had to eat out at almost every meal during classes, but it was still enjoyable and I cannot complain. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
In homestays, I felt like I was able to connect greatly with the local culture. However, when living alone and in most of the rest of the program, there were limited opportunities to meet people actually from South Africa which I would have enjoyed. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
It was addressed well, though I did not need to use any of the resources that were explained. |
| * Safety: |
Following the information provided by the program staff felt like enough to keep me safe and understanding of how to interact. I never felt unsafe while abroad. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I learned a lot from this program and am extremely grateful for the guest lecturers and other students who prompted great conversations that I don't think I would have gotten so much from another program. |
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) |
I did not spend a lot of money and the budget from SIT ended up being more than enough to get me through the semester. The only thing I spent my own money on was cellular data. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Less than $20 until the last week of the program when I was buying souvenirs. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy what you need and be aware of the SIT budget, it is enough if you pay attention to it. |
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 |
For two of the homestays we were encouraged to speak Xhosa, but we did not know it enough to really speak much and there was no penalty for not speaking it. |
| 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 |
| 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? | Talk to other students on the program! And host families, they won't judge you. |
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? | I wish I knew that I would have to do much less work and the program would feel both over-structured and like there was too much free time at the same time. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
