Program Reviews

Great support and learning opportunity. This experience made it possible and enriching to live and study in a part of the world where I would never have dreamed possible. This program pushed my understanding of how cities and communities grow together. I gained so many wonderful experiences while living and working with local colleagues. This program offered me the chance to do really powerful learning but also experience so many different parts of the country.
I can't wait to return to Vietnam in the near future. This program has ignited a love for learning and a deep interest in the wonderful richness of Vietnam.
The program felt really well designed and safe. I'd highly recommend this program to anyone willing to step off the well-tod path and explore a new place and way of learning.

The study abroad experience was phenomenal for the leaders and people I did it with. There were tons of opportunities to bond and explore these beautiful locations. This is a great learning experience for both living alone or with a small group of friends abroad and also for learning about how the climate is changing the areas you're living in for the semester. The homestay is a particularly valuable opportunity to immerse yourself in Icelandic culture and make connections with people from a completely different background. The ISP was also a fantastic opportunity to plan and execute your own research question. This program really excels in giving you the freedom to explore what you're interested in and follow your passions, so to make the most of it, you should be curious and explore outside the classroom!

The SIT Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples study abroad program was a remarkable highlight of my time in university. Through a refreshing taste of experiential learning, we engaged with communities across Nepal in productive, meaningful ways. Learning in the field instead of the classroom inspired us all to be more invested in our work. The staff, who was caring and supportive to the utmost degree, has connections across the region and is willing to help all of their students with both the smallest and greatest of tasks. Their deep knowledge of the country (and neighboring countries) opens up a world of opportunity. Students with any possible interest, even the most esoteric, will find their place and thrive in this study abroad program.

I definitely think about art differently after this program. It was really empowering to see it used as a tool in so many ways. In this program, art was used as a means of exploring and analyzing a new city, as a means to process trauma, to track an intergenerational timeline of consciousness, and to empower people with creative solutions. The instructors are amazing and very compassionate. Also, this program is important for a person born and raised in the United States (like me)! I did not know almost anything about Los Desaparecidos in Argentina and many similar scenarios in other countries in South America. I would say its an essential piece of history to understand, and it's much easier to get an understanding first hand in Argentina.

(I put 9 out of 10 for housing purely because we were all housed in really wealthy neighborhoods and it would have been nice to see a bit more of the city.)

City scavenger hunt, class on the beach, courses that make you re-think your perspective... check. This program is so much more than I ever could have expected. The topics had all of the student discussions rolling over into lunch time, and the French instructors worked with us once on one to ensure we were all reaching our language goals. The instructors and the curriculum truly altered my understanding of development, and made me analyze the impact my cultural values had on my views of development. Additionally, I think the program and location draw in a very unique group of people, which makes the program that much more special. The people I was with really shaped my experience in a positive way. This program is not for the faint of heart, but it is for someone looking to step outside their comfort zone.

This program may not be appropriate for the faint of heart or health. However, if you're looking for a real-life adventure, I think few programs would measure up as well. The country's beauty, the richness of the culture and the thrill of studying African wildlife out in the field make the entire trip worth it already, while the challenging and difficult times did more to strengthen me as an individual than any other experience in my life ever did. The ISP is academically challenging, but the program leaves you a lot of time to focus on exploring and learning things hands-on rather than spending all your time studying. I especially recommend it for those wanting to do conservation and field biology: the techniques and research abilities you will develop will be incredibly useful in a later career. I decided that I wanted to work in wildlife conservation after doing this program; I have SIT and the people I met in Tanzania to thank for that.

I gained a new way of looking at the world through this program; the cultural immersion experience helped me understand what daily life is like in a low-income country, while stereotypical perceptions of Africa as being only known for poverty and violence. The independent study was definitely a highlight for me because I had clear academic goals and a topic that I wanted to explore; SIT provided all the resources, connections and support to make the research possible. The homestay experiences where we lived with local families were a really great cultural immersion and the families were very accommodating and friendly. However, do have realistic expectations, don't expect luxury accommodation and be prepared to use squat toilets at some point. SIT has fantastic Swahili language tutors who teach well, and with this working knowledge of the language you can feel more confident interacting with locals. Importantly, the SIT programme staff were always friendly, approachable, and trustworthy and we felt cared for at all times.

I went abroad looking for experiential education and not classroom based education and that is exactly what I got on this program. Classes were sometimes held in classrooms, but were also held on nature walks or in a national park or sitting in the grass. The idea of everything being your classroom was really fun and let you learn all the time. This is a program that will push your comfort zone in terms of how you live. For example, my clothes were washed by a machine once during the whole semester and probably about half the semester was bucket showers, as opposed to a wall mounted shower, but these were never a problem. I think that in order to get the most out of this program, you have to be open to experiencing life in a way that you've never experienced it before.

This program is super unique and culturally immersive, and amazing if you're interested in being an international journalist. I walked away with some really great clips. The friends I made on this program, American and Moroccan, are the most special part of this experience. There are some challenging times, especially in the homestay, but that's where I grew the most and having support from my friends was essential. The food is amazing and the medinas are beautiful. It is a semester I still think about every day. The program takes you on two excursions. My favorite was the week village stay. We all stayed with a family in a rural northern village and there was no running water. The people there are incredible and I learned the most in that week.

I could not think of a better program to participate in than SIT in Jordan. SIT focuses on educating the whole student. Not only did I learn so much about Jordanian politics and history, but also the role of Jordan in both a regional and international context. The Arabic professors are experts in teaching Arabic as a second language and are adept at accommodating all levels of Arabic and making the lectures interesting.

Outside of the classroom, they focus on the cultural aspect of being in a foreign country. The homestay experience is a great way to learn about both family life and traditions. I had the ability to attend an engagement party, which very few visitors have the ability to attend.

If you're interested in Jordan, this is the best program!