Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

For the most part, we learned on our own as we spent time in the various cities of India. Our professor shared his expertise along the way, since he was born and raised in India. Though we weren't taught in a traditional lecture hall, I feel I learned more about the culture by actually experiencing it as opposed to reading about it in a textbook. It was a wonderful experience and I came out a lot more knowledgeable.

On-site administration of your program

I think since we were the first group to ever participate in the program, there was definitely room for improvement. It was nothing like I expected, but I was not disappointed by any means.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Hotel Karat <br /><br /> The hotel was not flattering by any means. We had a lot of water issues, particularly when trying to shower. The water either didn't work or was freezing. We only had one key that we had to use in order to gain power to the room and also had to leave at the front desk whenever we left the hotel. At first, I didn't feel comfortable with this, afraid that my things would get stolen, but after a few days this feeling faded. The way the room was cleaned also wasn't at all like what you see in the United States. I wasn't used to having to ask for my sheets to be changed or to get new, clean towels for the day. The toilet paper rolls are also a quarter of the size of the ones in the U.S., so we went through almost four a day. I would have definitely been willing to pay more money to stay at a nicer place.

I didn't particularly enjoy the food, but that's because I'm a very picky eater. I eat a lot of meat and pasta, and those are two foods that aren't traditionally eaten in India. I gave the food 3 globes because it was something new and I definitely loved the fact that I got to experience eating real Indian food.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I loved the non-academic aspects of the program because I got to visit places such as the Taj Mahal and various temples, and their beauty just astounded me. I will also always remember the bike tour we took around Old Delhi. While it was extremely frightening to ride a bike through this incredibly populous country, it was just remarkable to get to see what people do during the day.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The health issues were addressed very well. I was notified about the various risks I could come across, so I was fully aware of what I needed to do before leaving. I was very nervous throughout the entire trip because a lot of the natives would come up to me and try to get me to buy things. They were very persistent and got very close to you, so I spent 90% of the time following my professor because I just did not feel comfortable without him by my side.

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

My language skills did not improve at all because we had our professor translate when necessary. A majority of the natives that we ran into spoke English, so the language barrier was not really a huge issue. I did learn a few Hindi words here and there.

Select all that apply

• Hotel

Select all that apply

• Americans

Select all that apply

• Americans