amazing Indian adventure! Past Review
By erin.schneider.35 (PSYCHOLOGY., University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 05/12/2013 to 05/28/2013 with
University of Northern Iowa: Mysore - UNI Capstone in India
It helped me to realize how much Americans take for granted. The importance of supporting under developed countries.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
There's not a lot of time during the school year with everyone's classes so the amount of assignments before hand are efficient. I think it would be beneficial for students to have a more in-depth information of the culture and what to expect. It was difficult for some students to adjust to their surroundings. Having a more intense cultural immersion might be nice. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The SVYM staff was fantastic!! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was very nice. Food and hospitality was amazing. If a student has back problems they should bring something to over compensate. |
| * Food: |
Food is very different. Each meal is very similar and this can ware on the students. Sensitivity for students needs is important. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Many events were planned for the students to get to immerse them in the culture, such as a wedding, shopping for sharees, tourist sites and interacting with the locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There were a few students that got sick from the food and a skin rash. Their symptoms were slightly ignored by the professor. I think because the food is so different many students have gotten sick in the past, but it still should be addressed by either the instructor or program assistant. |
| * Safety: |
The staff was very protective and made us feel very safe. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Much of the food costs was already included in the program cost. A way to save money would be to buy less things. I bought a lot of souvenirs. |
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? |
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? | What the culture shock would be like for students. |
