India: A mystique like no other Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was manageable and took into account the traveling many students do while in India. Many classes incorporated short and long-term field trips that were essentially enriching to the course material. Grades were assigned similar to American universities, i.e., A, B, C, and D. We were assigned projects, short assignments, and tests. The professors were all Indian and local; their teaching wasn't very different from university-level teaching I've experienced in the US.

On-site administration of your program

India can be a very disorganized and bureaucratic place, but our staff and directors did everything they could to help and prepare us for that. The program was run as efficiently as you could expect. The director was an American university administrator who grew up in India; that gave her an understanding of American students and an ability to deal with Indian systems. The support of the rest of the staff was overwhelming. They were friends and family members who we came to love. If we needed a ride to a doctor, an appropriate present for our host family, or advice on personal situations--they were there.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a middle/upper-class neighborhood in Delhi that was safe and active. It was walking distance from a shopping area, and a short rickshaw ride from the study abroad centre and other areas of interest. Sheets, food, laundry, etc. were all provided to me, but I had to buy my own toilet paper. My host family, a retired Punjabi couple, and their servants became very close to me and treated me like a family member.

Indian food can be heavy and rich after a while, but Delhi has a variety of cuisines. Vegetarians are easily accommodated because many Hindus don't eat meat. Food is cheap, good, and worth exploring.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Delhi is about as safe as a city like Chicago or New York City. While it isn't a small Texas town or suburb, it still has degrees of safety that are respected. Of course being a foreigner changes things, but if you are aware of your surroundings and make smart decisions, there won't be any issues. Traveling can be a bit wary, especially for females. But, again, if you are aware and cautious, you'll do fine. Healthcare is accessible and ridiculously cheap in India. Prescription medicines are available at your local chemist, and private hospitals are covered under study abroad insurance. Our program staff was extremely helpful in getting us medical attention when needed.

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

I practiced language with my host family and people I interacted with on the streets. A fourth of the Indian population speak English, and those are the ones who volunteer to speak to the white/foreign people. However, many shopkeepers and auto-wallas spoke very little or no English. Learning Hindi increased my involvement in the community, and made me exponentially more comfortable in situations outside of the classroom.

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• Dorm
• Host Family

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• Americans