Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

India and Lovely Professional University Past Review

By (MIS, Envi Studies, SUNY - Binghamton) for

SUNY Binghamton: New Delhi - Technology, Economy, and Society in India

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
All in all, I wanted to go to India. This program let me do that for a reasonable price and I saw the things I wanted to see (the Taj Mahal). BUT the trip could have been a lot less frustrating if we had gotten things done faster. It didn't have to be as long. We definitely could have had time to do one more activity per day and cut the trip by 3 days if the professor had been stricter about when we left in the morning.

Personal Information

The term and year this program took place: Winter 2010

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I learned a lot about the culture of India, but probably not much about what we went there for - business.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Hotel for most nights; dorm/hostel for 2 nights. <br /><br /> The hotel was near shopping, but there were many homeless people around.

* Food:

I was not expecting just bread and dips for every lunch/dinner. I was expecting more substantial, spicy Indian food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We danced with the students from LPU, which was a lot of fun for one night, but I didn't want to do it again when everyone else was.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I did not feel safe anywhere near moving traffic or near beggars, who would come up and touch me, asking for money. I also had a fever, which was brought on by the inadequate hot water supply and lack of heat. The concern to keep us all warm only began after I got sick.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Maybe $10 - 450 rupees.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? It's easy to want something because it's really cheap, but soon enough you're out of money. I wish I were informed of the expense of the cell phone I got. The professor said that it had 400 minutes on it, but it was really 400 rupees worth of minutes, which is a lot fewer minutes and my phone was shut off. It wa definitely a waste of money.

Language

Language acquisition improvement?

In Hindi, I know how to say no, welcome, and thank you.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? If you like adventure and don't care about your personal hygiene, go for it. I'm never coming back to India.