An Amazing, Perspective Shifting Experience Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academic aspects of SITA were definitely one of the highlights of the program for me. Although the classes did not assign as much work outside of class as a typical Bowdoin course (in order to give students the opportunity to spend time exploring Madurai, with hist families, etc), I found them very helpful in terms of learning about South India, processing and understanding the experiences I was having, and thinking critically about my own perspectives and impressions. The last month of SITA is devoted to an independent study project rather than typical coursework, and this was undoubtedly one of the best parts not only of my study abroad experience, but of my college experience. The resident director and other SITA staff worked closely with us to ensure we had the resources and support to complete rigorous independent studies on topics of our choosing. I was very happy with the end result of my project (a 30+ page research paper), but even more so, I enjoyed the experience of interviewing people in Madurai and collecting data as an ethnographic researcher.

On-site administration of your program

I loved SITA's on-site administration. The current (2016) resident director, Ted, is absolutely amazing. He was very supportive of all of the students in my semester both academically and personally, and made sure that we had access to a great number of the resources Madurai has to offer, from visiting non-profit organizations to showing us the best restaurants. The other SITA staff were also very supportive, and became almost like a second host family for me. Madurai is constantly changing, and the program is in the process of adapting itself to these changes, and the staff are open to feedback and suggestions from students.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a host family very close to the SITA center, where our classes took place. It was nice to have the support of a host family, especially in a country so different from the United States as India, and so it was great to be able to ask them for suggestions of things to do, places to eat, etc. My family was one of the less involved host families, meaning that although they cooked my meals and provided me with everything I needed, they mostly left me to do my own activities. This was a positive and a negative, allowing me to be free to do what I wished, but depriving me of the closer bonds that some students in my semester experienced with their host families. However, living with a host family was an overall positive and definitely beneficial experience.

Delicious! South Indian food is very different from the typically North Indian food served in most Indian restaurants in the US, and (I think) even more delicious! Madurai has a ton of great restaurants, and we had the opportunity to eat out for a lot of meals, especially lunches. An added benefit, you can get a delicious, all you can eat lunch for about 2 American dollars. Having meals cooked by a host family was another great food experience.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Madurai is very different from an American city, and by definition, this makes it more difficult to integrate into the local culture there than in, say, most European cities. That being said, SITA did a good job of encouraging us to meet and get to know lots of people in Madurai, and enabled us to do this in ways that I couldn't have done on my own. SITA has a close relationship with Lady Doak College, a nearby women's college, as well as American College, which is nearby, and these relationships allowed us to get so know students our own age, which was really great. Several of our professors had spent time at these colleges, so they also provided a helpful connection. SITA also helped us get involved with several local non-profits, People's Watch and SUDAR, which we visited and had the opportunity to get involved with. Host families were also a great way to get to know people in Madruai, and most of the host families were more than happy to get to know and include all the students in many of their activities. Most people I met in Madurai were incredibly friendly, and very interested in getting to know American students and talk to us about America, India, Madurai, etc. The independent study was also helpful for me in getting to know people, because SITA requires that students conduct interviews as a part of their research, and is helpful in finding interview subjects. I learned a lot not only from official interviews, but from getting to know and talk to a variety of people n Madurai. As an American in Madurai, you will always stand out, but it was still possible to form relationships with lots of local people.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Aside from a few stomach issues, I did not have any health problems in Madurai. When I did get sick to my stomach, SITA was very helpful and supportive, offering to take me to a doctor (which I decided wasn't necessary). The Resident Director even checked in on me at my host family's house.

Madurai is a very safe city. People who live there say that even though it is a city of over a million people, it maintains a village feel. Living with host families meant that we were not usually out later than 9 or 9:30 at night, so that added another element of safety. SITA also provides a large support network, meaning that if a student ever feels unsafe, they have plenty of people they can call and have access to immediately. As a woman, I felt just as safe if not safer walking around Madurai as I would in most large US cities.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Madurai is incredibly cheap by American standards. You can get a delicious meal for under $2 and a nice shirt or sari for under $10.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We were encouraged to try to speak Tamil as much as possible, but since SITA assumes that students arrive in Madurai with no experience of Tamil, it is hard to actively use Tamil, as we were beginners.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Independent Study
• Relationships with local students, professors, SITA staff
• Location

• More opportunities to get involved with local non-profits
• More housing options

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer