Americans navigate rapidly developing Vietnam with local friends and food Past Review

By a_student (HISTORY., Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/07/2014 to 05/21/2014 with

SIT Study Abroad: Vietnam - Culture, Social Change and Development

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

Definitely worthwhile. So special to have the opportunity to live and explore and begin to understand a culture that is so different yet beginning to resemble my own. I learned so much about Vietnam's history and culture, as well as a ton about modern society from host family and friends. I gained a personal relationship with the country and with that region of the world. Living abroad, especially as a student, allows for learning and growth in subtle and profound ways.

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.
* 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?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* 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)	The program gives the students a budget for each section of the semester. I spent very little of my own money because the stipend was well allocated and because Vietnam is very cheap.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	~$10 per week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Use the stipend wisely and you won't have to spend much of your own money. The biggest personal expenses are souvenirs, external travel, and alcohol.

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?	None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	None
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?	Vietnamese is very difficult. You really need more than 3 months to get any grasp on the language, especially if you have no background in tonal languages.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm Other Host Family Apartment Hotel
* 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?	Learning about Vietnamese culture, history, economics, cuisine, society, landscape, and geography. Living with a host family Final month of independent study
* What could be improved?	Program administration being more in touch with students - emotionally, health-wise, academically, socially More/better language study Grater academic rigor that allows for more student freedom to explore and learn from surroundings
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Vietnamese language. Would have made my experience much more rich.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Vietnamese Language
Course Department:	Language
Instructor:	Chi Thui
Instruction Language:	Vietnamese/English
Comments:	The language is very difficult. As an English speaker who has never studied a language with tones, it was very challenging to ever really feel like I gained a solid foundation. Wish there had been more class time and practical use teaching so that I could have gotten even better at the language. We had exams, but not that frequently.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I don't think this credit will transfer for language requirement at Middlebury