SFS programs provide an excellent hands on experience! Past Review
By Kat M (Chemistry., University of San Diego) - abroad from 08/29/2011 to 12/08/2011 with
The School for Field Studies / SFS: Turks and Caicos Islands - Marine Resource Studies
I gained a lot of experience about different research techniques, as well as a lot of strategies to live more simply. It was definitely worthwhile and I would love to go back!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses were very hands on and all tied in very well with the overall goal of the program! They were not as challenging as most of my other college courses have been but this could have been a result of how interesting I found them to be. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our center director and student affairs manager were great. They both went out of their way to make sure that everything ran as smoothly as possible. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
They were pretty much exactly as described. The housing is nothing fancy on this program, but that is part of the experience. We had everything that we needed. |
| * Food: |
Our local chefs were great and they made sure that we always had plenty to eat! It would have been nice to see more fresh produce incorporated into our meals (when it was available). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The local community is very welcoming to the students on this program. It is easy to have as much or as little interaction with them as you would like. We spent a lot of time working with the local children which was great! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Many of us got sick during our program and our student affairs manager was very helpful in making sure that we received enough medical attention from the local clinic. The local clinic is nothing fancy (1 doctor), but the medicine he proscribed was effective and cheap! There were not any special vaccines required at the time that I went. |
| * Safety: |
We did not have any safety issues during our program! The island has a very safe feel especially during the day. At night, it was easy to stay in groups and we had no issues. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
You barely spend any money while on this program because there is very little to buy on the island! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~$20 at the most. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How to play dominos! |
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 AdventurerThe 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. |
