Highly recommend with all my heart! Unique experience May 25, 2024

By Camille N (Environmental Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/30/2024 to 05/10/2024 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?

So worthwhile. I learned that I love hearing people's stories, love Cambodia, and the people there! I also learned how I am very adaptable, but need space from people. It is a LOT of time with the same group.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Very rigorous academics, classes 6 days a week. However, all very worth it. You do need to be a strong-willed person, and be willing to dedicate time to work even if you want to go out in Siem Reap. The resources were good, and the professors offered very kindly office hours whenever you wanted, but it wasn't very structured. It is up to you to schedule things, as they are busy as well.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Our management made some mistakes with how they handled serious situations, though I was not involved with them, so I cannot speak fully. Other than that, it was pretty well-organized, though possibly understaffed on field trips.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Bathroom quality could've been better, and many things broke over the course of the program. All were fixed. Get used to living with 3 other people!
* Food:	THE FOOD IS INCREDIBLE. 100/100. 10/10. Maly works magic in the kitchen. I never got sick, or sick of her food. There is a lot of variety, and always always fresh fruit. Dessert is such a treat too. The kitchen staff is so kind as well. Make sure to help them by cleaning up everything!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I think our program did a good job with integrating us, because we learned the language and did trips to temples. We got to meet many Cambodian people of all walks of life, and so we got a better sense of the country. We were also located close to the city, so we could go in and meet people.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	If you're on a field trip and you get sick, it is not possible to go to a hospital. Just know that. I had very bad food poisoning and I had to sit through long van rides on bumpy roads. Staff is very caring though, and has basic first aid. Your fellow study abroaders will check in on you too, and you'll make it. In Siem Reap, there's a very nice hospital if anything happens. Many people went to it, unfortunately, but were given good care. You need to get a rabies vaccine and malaria pills (just for trips outside of Siem Reap). Siem Reap is safe for malaria.
* Safety:	Felt very very safe. Safer than my home in NYC. For transportation use Grab or Passapp to order tuktuks so you can track them.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes It is a unique program, intensive, and you travel a lot around the country. You get to interview and meet so many people, it's so cool. You won't get another opportunity to do something like it. And the food is incredible!

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)	Cambodia is very cheap! Tuktuks are the way to get around, and are about $1-2USD per trip to main area of town. I didn't go out that much though. The program is pretty expensive, so it balances out.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	25
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Take out a bunch of cash from the ATM once, so you don't keep getting fees for taking out money. It is a cash-based economy, so you'll use it all!

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	It is up to you to use the language. Our class encouraged us to use it, but we weren't forced.
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Beginner
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Use it during tuktuk rides to practice, and with kitchen staff! Everyone will be pleasantly surprised!

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
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Field trips Staff Being in a perfect sized city
* What could be improved?	Handling serious situations/drama Mental health support Pre-departure preparation/orientation
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	You can bring cute clothing! You won't be in a jungle. Also, you don't have to dress SO conservatively, only for trips.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Conservation Science and Practice
Course Department:
Instructor:	Megan English
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was a course where she read off a lecture quickly, and so it didn't feel very engaging. The work we did in class was rushed, and therefore didn't feel useful for learning. However, some of our discussions were interesting and thought-provoking. The class didn't make use of the location, though there were some case studies we looked at regarding Cambodia. We also did have a trip to Elephant Valley Project, which was cool as we got to see elephants, but it was very short. Our professor was caring though sometimes she would give mixed messages being very strict at times, and understanding and forgiving at times. I didn't understand her sometimes.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Ecosystems and Livelihoods
Course Department:
Instructor:	Jean-Chrisophe Diepart
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Wow! I love JC as a professor, he is very kind and funny. Very much like a caring father figure. In addition, his class was very straightforward. As long as you pay attention, you'll be engaged! Our trips were centered around his class, though the assignments were not really field-based. We played kahoots every class to refresh on the previous class!
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Ethics and Development
Course Department:
Instructor:	Tim Frewer
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Challenging, definitely. But very thought-provoking and engaging. The best class, and Tim is so passionate and caring about his work. Our field trips felt mostly based around his class. He is always well-prepared, just not as caring a professor as the others. However, he is very very understanding about deadlines, and really just wants to see you engaged. He has so much knowledge, just sometimes is a little know-it-all/doesn't like stupid questions asked (even if you didn't think it was a stupid question). We had 4 field notes due, so make sure you take thorough notes in the field during interviews!!
Credit Transfer Issues: