Program Reviews

Hello. My name is Emma and I was on the Spring 2020 Gap-mester program to India with Carpe Diem.
Short and simple: this program was nothing like I expected. I wish I had known better what I was getting into before I went, and I hope this review can serve as that info for other students.
Cons:
1. Flights- the layovers were terribly long and extremely uncomfortable and inconvenient. There was 0 reason that the layovers should've been so horribly planned.
2. No devices- the program allows no WiFi-compatible devices, even just for music and pictures. Music is a coping mechanism for me, so this rule was extremely hard. They don't even allow the devices with the WiFi disabled, and that shows no trust to their students and no cares about their students' needs. When I spoke to the program director about this issue, he offered no compassion and assumed a "you're wrong, I'm right" attitude.
3. The program leaders and directors- On that note, all of the staff of Carpe assumed the "you're wrong, I'm right" attitude about every. single. thing. I constantly felt belittled, berated and wrong.
4. The communication- the itinerary was extremely vague, the communications between me, my family and the program before going was super misleading and vague, and when we were abroad, the communication between our program leaders and my parents was pretty much nonexistent. My parents were worried about me the whole time, never knew where I was, never knew what was happening, and when they asked, they were shut down by the HQ staff in Portland. My parents were not even made aware when my entire group got scabies and had to evacuate our camp.
5. Child labor- What the program called "volunteering" and "learning about sustainability" was actually just unpaid labor without food. I worked many mornings in the hot sun without breakfast. The labor was actually not necessary either... it was actually pointless and did nothing for the environment or forestation.
6. Probably the worst thing about my trip- The complete and utter imposing of ideals and morals onto me and the other students. We were "learning" about sustainability and climate change, but what that actually meant was our leaders telling us that basically everything we were doing was wrong. They said, "Screw the USA, screw Trump, screw capitalism, screw globalism, screw commercialism, screw gas cars, screw non-vegans, screw everything remotely right leaning." As leaders, they should've let us explore India and come up with our own opinions and views on the world. Instead, they told us theirs, and if we disagreed, we were treated differently. I was treated like an outcast in so many situations because I was not vegan, because I drove a gas car, because I shopped at the mall, etc etc. I went to India to learn about India... instead I learned about super left-leaning ideals that had nothing to do with where we were and could've been taught in the USA.
7. Stole our money- When our trip got cancelled due to Coronavirus and we had to come home 2 months early, the $13,000 program refunded us $1,000. Yep. $1,000. The money definitely did not go to our trip because we were all living on less than $7 USD a day in India. The money went straight into the pockets of the program leaders and directors, and they feel no remorse about it, even when many of our families became unemployed with Coronavirus business shut-downs and needed that money.
8. Oh yeah- and my host mom stole money from my roommate and I.
Pros:
1. My group- many members of my group were awesome and we were all committed to making it a drama-free environment, which made it super fun in most cases.
2. The freedom- in a lot of places, we had a lot of freedom to kinda do whatever we wanted until we had to meet, or go to dinner, or something like that. It was fun to try and meet up with my peers and just explore.
3. *Some* of the places- I emphasize some because a lot of the places were a phenomenal waste of time (Sadhana Forest, Madurai, Proto Village) but Kochi, Munnar and Bangalore were all super awesome.
In conclusion, I wish I would've been more informed about what I was getting into. If you want to go to India to learn about Indian culture, Indian ideals, Indian life... go with another company. If you want to rant about all the problems with the USA, feel belittled and like everything you do in your life is wrong, (and explore some of India), go with Carpe Diem.

I had an incredible semester with Carpe in India. My leaders were incredible- they met each one of us where we were at and helped us grow in our own ways. They showed us that they weren't necessarily that different than us, they just had developed their critical thinking, problem solving, and emotional inteligence and were ready to help us grow in those ways. The program not only employed leaders and staff that are more than competent, but their relations with members of the community is incredible. My leaders knew many of the people we were staying with from previous years which was very special. We were able to work with organizations that would otherwise be difficult to get in touch with and were very special grassroots organizations. Carpe gave me a very unique experience, one that was very far from being a tourist.

I recommend Carpe Diem to anyone interested in taking a Gap Year. The organization was so supportive my whole trip, and my time in India was amazing. The semester was fun and challenging in all the right ways, filled with volunteer work, a trek in the Himalayas, yoga, and a lot of learning about the culture. I felt safe every moment and would go back if I could and do the whole thing over again. If you are thinking about going abroad to India do it, and do it with Carpe Diem! You won’t regret it.

I chose India because it scared me. Traveling to a place that is so foreign for 3 months, without a phone, with a group of 11 other strangers, seems extremely daunting. However, I knew that taking the leap of faith would make me grow. And to say that it did is an understatement. If you want to learn the tools to live a more fulfilling life, develop a worldview, and be exposed to the inequalities that we are often sheltered from, then Carpe Diem is the program for you. The wisdom and lessons I gained have made me a more compassionate and open-minded individual. The way they organize the trip makes you feel like you are immersing yourself in the culture, rather than just being a tourist. We were lucky enough to learn about meditation and Buddhism from the Dalai Lama in his temple. We practiced our Hindi with vibrant kids living in slums. We ate our way through all of the samosa, thali, and chai shops. None of that would have happened without Carpe Diem's longlasting connections to the communities and people of India. The 11 other people in my group also became the most inspiring community I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. We laughed till our stomachs hurt, danced with locals, cried, loved, meditated, and grew together. After 3 years, we still keep in contact because the connections made will truly last a lifetime. I can't recommend this program enough! Take the leap of faith!

Taking a gap year was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It gave me an opportunity to be constantly out of comfort zone, step away from my normal life, create connections, learn about things I never would have, and a lot more. The most important thing I learned was how to travel, and how to be safe. I recommend anyone looking at this to take a gap year, and I think anyone else who has taken a gap year would say the same. This applies especially if you are nervous or scared to take one. The best way to grow is to get out of your comfort zone. If you have the means, do it. You may never get another chance to do something like it again.

Nothing brings a smile quicker to my face than when I recount the amazing time I had during my 3 months I spent in India. My overseas educators were incredibly fun and caring people who helped shape my experience more than I could ever thank them for. I immediately felt comfortable with the community of our group. Some of the memories that stick out the most are: visiting the Taj Mahal, eating lots and lots of thali and trekking at the foothills of the Himalayas. I am incredibly grateful for being able to go to India through Carpe Diem. Absolutely no regrets!

This trip was beyond unbelievable and a dream come true. I knew I wanted to do this program a year before I could even apply. I learned so much and came of out my trip as a more confident and responsible person. I learned about the culture from living with home-stays and was able to volunteer in each country. I got my scuba certification while in Vietnam and I have used it frequently since. My educators were so helpful with everything and they thought my group so much about each place we went to. I also met amazing people through the whole journey and came out of it with amazing life long friends all over the country.

I came back from India a more confident, compassionate human being. I made friendships that will last a life time and had leaders who widened my perspective tremendously. Carpe Diem had a miraculous impact on how I view the world and myself. The program is thoughtfully designed with authentic interactions to help young adults grow. If you are looking for an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and learn how to independently travel, Carpe Diem is perfect for you. India and my experiences there forever hold a very special place in my heart.

My Carpe Diem East Africa experience was amazing from start to finish. I learned so much about a different part of the world, met so many amazing people, volunteered in a variety of places, got scuba certified, and learned valuable travel skills that I have used many times since my semester ended. My Overseas Educators were great mentors as we explored the region and learned more about international travel with a group, on a budget, and in a foreign language. Highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking to explore East Africa and may be new to international travel.

I could not have picked a better gap year option than this one! I left not knowing much about what to expect and I received more from this year abroad than I could have every hoped to achieve. For my first semester I traveled to India and my second I traveled to Bali, Indonesia. Every new place I went to ended up being a positive experience for me and I was constantly taken out of my comfort zone in fun ways. I also had the best overseas educators who traveled with me on my first semester! It was challenging at times being in a place so foreign, but every challenge I overcame helped me to become a stronger person and taught me lessons that continue to help me in my life back in the states. My first semester effectively prepared me to travel on my own and my second semester tested my travel abilities. Some other aspects that I thought were really cool about this program are that they don't allow you to have technology your first semester and they give you a lot of freedom to explore your surroundings.