SFS TCI: Best Academic Experience Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The hands-on experience for learning species, population dynamics, and experiencing economic policy was absolutely amazing. The workload was manageable and being with my classmates all the time helped studying. I lived my academic experience in and out of the water. The directed research component was crucial to all of this because it helped me synthesize and make inferences using everything I had learned throughout the semester. I went to a top private school for high school and I go to a top-ranked small liberal arts college, but my SFS Turks and Caicos semester was the single best academic experience I have ever had. I loved every single minute of it.

On-site administration of your program

Going in with an understanding of the program's restrictions (in terms of meal times, curfew, travel restrictions, etc.), I think the program administration was top-notch. I know fellow program-mates had issue with the early curfew and the restriction on where we could swim, but I understand that these things are all liabilities for the program and its coordinators. All of my expectations were met and surpassed.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We lived right next to the dining area and the classroom, had unlimited access to computers, had bathrooms in each of our rooms, and got to take sea baths when we couldn't shower. I had a prime view of the sunset every single night, and I didn't mind the occasional lizards that got into our room. I lived at a field station in a developing country. The accomodations far exceeded my expectations and I couldn't have asked for more. The night-life was restricted to Saturday nights because we had an 11pm curfew during the week, but the curfew allowed people to buckle down and study during the week and then everyone wanted to hang out together on the weekend. The curfew set-up inadvertently helped our group bond as a whole. Everyone got really close on the program, because we lived, ate, studied, and partied together.

The Dominican ladies who cooked for us were fantastic. The vegetarian options were great, and I loved the bagels. My group even bonded over food because we were allowed to cook a big thanksgiving feast for everyone and it was the best thanksgiving I have ever had.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We had a field trip to Providenciales right before the mid-semester break, so we were able to do research in another part of the country for a project. We used some of the time to go spelunking in a cave, visit a gorgeous beach, and interview staff and patrons at a really snazzy new hotel. The program did a great job of giving us the right amount of freedom on the field trip, while organizing enough to keep us from ever feeling bored. Plus, the timing was great because we didn't have to pay for the flight there and the hotels we cheap because it was the tourist off-season.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There was never a time where I felt unsafe or uncared for. I am also generally pretty health and safety-conscious, so I don't take unneccessary risks and put myself in unsafe or health-threatening situations. When my friends were sick, the SAM and program director took care of them.

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

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