Healthcare and Justice In Action Past Review
By Takisha Edwards (Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/24/2016 to 12/06/2016 with
SIT Study Abroad: Switzerland - Global Health and Development Policy
I definitely learned that stepping out of my comfort zone was such a good thing. I feel like I can go anywhere now and have as many adventures as I want!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I thoroughly enjoyed all of my classes. The classes were held at the school, in different non-profit organizations across Geneva, and we had an excursion to Morocco, where we did the same thing there. Everything was so interesting and informative. I definitely did not want my classes to end. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There were a few times when the program events could have been organized better, but overall the administration was great and always available to answer questions if we were unclear of anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My homestay parents were great and were very hospitable, but there were times when my homestay proved to be difficult because of cultural/personality differences. That was to be expected though, so I had to overlook those differences and had a great time with my host family! They even took me to their granddaughter's baptism party! |
| * Food: |
Everything in Switzerland is so fresh; the food I had was always the highest quality. Some food can be bland though and I kind of got tired with the lack of variety (there are a lot of sandwiches and cafés). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Swiss people were very receptive and welcoming towards me. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Switzerland is very safe. I would go walking in a forest at night and not feel afraid. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I genuinely enjoyed my classes and the people I met. |
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) |
The program gave us a stipend on 1000 CHF ( it is about the same in USD). We were only required to buy lunch because breakfast and dinner was provided by the host family. The program budgeted out 14 CHF a day for lunch, so if you spent the most amount of money on lunch, you'd end up spending 70 CHF a week. The homestay also provides you with lunch on the weekends, but I went out a lot of the weekends, so I spent much more money at attractions, bars, clubs, markets, etc. If you are wise about how you spend your money, you can definitely spend 100 CHF a week. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy ingredients to make lunch instead of buying food everyday. It will save you a lot in the long-run. Also, cafés are nice places to study, but you have to pay money to stay there. I suggest going to the Rolex Learning Center at École polytechnique fédérale de lausanne (EPFL) which is open until midnight, if you want to work for free. |
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 |
Not everyone in Switzerland speaks English, so you will definitely have to use French everyday. |
| 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? | Advanced French 104 |
| 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? | Download the Duolingo app and the wordreference app. Wordreference helped greatly. I also changed my Facebook settings to French. While you are there, ask your host family to explain anything you don't understand. You will be speaking the most French with them, so make sure to ask, "What is that called?" or "Can you explain?" as much as you can. |
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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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? | More information about our host families |
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. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced French |
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| Comments: | I was not supposed to be in an Advanced French course. But there were not enough students for an Intermediate course, so I was put in the advanced class. It was very difficult for me. I feel like I did not learn as much as I should have. Most of my French skills improved because of daily interactions, not the class |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
