Super interesting, fun and challenging (not academically but generally) Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/03/2016 to 12/16/2016 with

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

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

SO worthwhile - i learned a lot about development and how complicated it is and actually learning that in a vietnamese context was super beneficial i also learned a lot about myself and became a more independent person

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 I loved Vietnam and I loved the people in my program. I learned a lot (some from the program academics) but more just from my experiences

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?	~$100 but I spent more than necessary you could easily have spent much less because food and transportation are so cheap
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	budget yourself

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?	French 230
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?	Speak with your homestay family as much as possible. It's helpful and a good way to connect

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family Apartment
* 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?	my peers homestay vietnam
* What could be improved?	academic director cohesiveness of courses and lectures
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	be super receptive to everything thrown at you even though in the moment you might not want to embrace it

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 Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Ethnicity, Gender and Social Change
Course Department:
Instructor:	various instructors/lecturers
Instruction Language:	english
Comments:	It was not very challenging, but I found it very interesting and relevant to what we were experiencing everyday during the program and during our homestays. The class made use of the location and offered lots of field trips and excursions which I enjoyed. We had different lecturers for the class every class or every two classes so some were better than others but it was interesting to get different perspectives from different profs. I participated a lot more because there were only 12 people in my program so most classes became a discussion and I was very comfortable with my peers. We were assessed mostly on papers and participation.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I haven't transferred credit yet so I don't know