Strong Research Program Past Review
By Emma N (HISTORY., Austin College) for
SIT Study Abroad: Switzerland - International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy
The research that I was able to do made up for any other shortcomings in the program. This study abraod program can be great if you put the time into it.
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 instructional, classroom part of the study abroad experience (the first 2 months) was of dissappointing academic quality. Students were taught by experts with experience in the field who were often ineffective teachers and delivered bland power point interviews. Reading assignments were given that had no relevance to classwork whatsoever. No teaching was ever done, no borader synthesis was ever made amongst experts, and critical thinking and analytical skills were not challenged. The last part of the program, the ISP portion, was an unparalleled opportunity to conduct undergraduate research and was very rewarding. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Local coordinator was extremely helpful with helping me in accessing medical help. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was wonderful, they were so welcoming, very friendly and overall a very good experience. I wish that I had been more specific in requesting a host family that would help my French. I was given a family who did not feel comfortable correcting my French because it was not their first language, either. |
| * Food: |
My host family cooked excellent meals. Be prepared to spen a lot of money on food in Geneva, prices are high. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The class trips that SIT offers are a unique aspect of SIT that were really fun. They let us get out of the classroom and around Europe- to Bern, Brussels, Paris, and eventually we did some tours around the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Switzerland is very safe, but healthcare is expensive. The program will expect you to pay for healthcare out of pocket. Getting reimbursed by their insurance policy is a time consuming and complicated process. |
| 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Geneva is expensive! We were given $14 per lunch in our stipend but this was often not enough to get a good nutritious meal. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buying the 1/2 fare card for the train was about 95 CHF but well worth the money, because it allowed us to take all train rides for 1/2 off the price. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French 236 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Classes with SIT were all in English. Students lived with French speaking families and attended intensive (3 hour long sessions, 3-4 times a week for 2 months) French classes. This program would not be the best choice for someone interested in improving their language skills, as that is not the primary focus of this program. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This program is good for a student who wants to conduct independent research. This is not the best program for a student wishing to improve their French. |
