Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Incredible experience of experiential learning outside the classroom November 02, 2022

By (Biology, Bucknell University) - abroad from 01/27/2019 to 05/09/2019 with

The School for Field Studies / SFS: Cambodia – Environmental Justice and Mekong Ecologies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The opportunity to live abroad in Cambodia through this program drastically changed my research and life goals. It taught me the importance of including cultural context and local knowledge in my work and made me interested in integrative Biology approaches. It also led to me traveling through Asia for several months after graduating.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Not academically demanding, which allowed for the most important growth and learning outside of the classroom

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Beautiful spot

* Food:

Literally the best food of my life

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Separated for safety reasons with some homestays

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Physical and psychological help provided

* Safety:

Felt completely safe, and the program was overly safe with us (curfew, buddy system, etc)

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

The field component allowed us to get an in-depth look of what we were studying, whether scientific or cultural.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Come with cash to avoid ATM charges. Overall everything is really cheap

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The exposure to Cambodia in an in-depth lens
* What could be improved?
  • Overly safe measures, like 10pm curfew
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I should have stayed and traveled more after

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.