Program Reviews

This program was great academically, with the excursions being by far the highlight. I learned so much about healthcare in Salvador, but also in a greater context within Brazil. The month-long community study project was by far a highlight for me and allowed me to explore what I was most passionate about while living in Chapada Diamantina (the national park in Bahia). Overall, it was an amazing experience- especially having class a block away from the beach!

Overall the program had an equal number of positives and negatives. Some positives include the freedom I got for each paper to write about a topic that I was interested in and comfortable with. The Academic Director was challenging but extremely helpful. In all honesty, professors can make or break a class, and I thought my Academic Director really made the course the success that it was. Another positive was my homestay. It was originally advertised as an 8-week homestay, but it turned out to only be 3 weeks. My family was wonderful and fun, and even though the three boys (all under the age of 8) did not speak English, we were able to communicate a little through games. There were some negatives as well. I was on the first semester of the program, and there were some logistical mistakes and some tweaking that still needed to be done. But I'm sure that as the program continues it will get better. Unfortunately, I didn't think my classmates were as flexible or understanding as they should have been, considering that this was the first semester. There were a lot of cliques in my program, and it was not very diverse. Unfortunately, SIT programs have a high rate of grade inflation. Meaning that no matter how poorly you did on a paper, the academic Director (who does all of the grading) is still expected to give you a better grade. Whether that appeals to you or not, I think it is dishonest. My AD, however, did not grade this way (and I know this because I almost never got the grade I wanted, I always got a worse one). He was honest and hard with his grading, which made me work even harder. Throughout the semester my grades improved significantly, and now I can look back on this program and say that this was where I learned how to write a scientific paper. The Academic Director is very bright and you can tell he is passionate about this program, even one month into the first semester. He challenges his students in multiple ways, whether he is testing your time management skills or writing skills. I feel that I can talk to him about anything, and I know I am biased because not everyone feels the same way. He doesn't act like an average professor who you only see for an hour or two in the day, like you would any other professor at a university. For the first three weeks, the Academic Director lived with us in the same hostel and was a part of our social lives outside of class. I got to know him as a person rather than just the professor. And I think if he continues to work for this trip in particular, he will make it a huge success for semesters to come.

We were always traveling, so it made it hard not to feel like a tourist (even in a town I spent 9 weeks in). Also, a part of this issue was due to the fact that I didn't speak Icelandic and I didn't want people to go out of their way to speak English.

I wish I knew how rude and disrespectful SIT headquarters has been towards me, my classmates, and the Academic Director. Throughout the whole program (even before and after) I felt like SIT headquarters didn't support me.

I studied abroad with SIT's Tunisia program in Spring 2012, approximately a year after Tunisia's revolution and conversion to a representative presidential-cum-parliamentary system. SIT did an amazing job of facilitating travel throughout the country and acclimating students to its history and culture-- and the country is sufficiently small that our excursions really made it feel as though we were seeing most everything there was to see! I had taken Arabic for a few years prior to my arrival, and the program outfitted me with a great tutor who tailored a program of study to my needs. My host family lived in a quiet, beautiful suburb of Tunis and was extremely caring. Because of my positive experience in Tunisia, I ended up ultimately majoring in Arabic studies and matriculating into a doctoral program in the US in Arabic language and literature. I have since been back to Tunis (last summer, in fact!) for research, and the program director and my former friends and colleagues welcomed me with open arms. Traveling there as a woman alone still feels safe and straightforward, and I know if and when I go back, my SIT family will always be there.

I participated in SIT Tunisia during the spring semester of 2016 and it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. Going abroad had always been a part of my plan as an International Studies major but I was not prepared for how the experience might affect me. I have traveled and studied in Europe before so I wanted to broaden my horizons and step outside of my comfort zone, so I chose what appeared to be a pretty neat country: Tunisia. Upon arrival, I knew it was a good decision and this knowledge was fortified time and time again over my stay in the country. My host family was extremely open and welcoming, allowing me to feel completely at home thousands of miles from America. Walking on the streets, I was immersed in a vibrant culture ready to accept any and all who were open to it. I made friends quickly and felt so comfortable and connected that I applied for a grant to continue my stay through the summer. The director and other professors of SIT Tunisia were integral to my wonderful experiences in Tunisia and gave me essential advice from how to maneuver certain situations as a foreigner in the country to where to find the best lablabi (one of the many delicious traditional Tunisian dishes I grew to love). Along with the wonderful experiences I had in Tunisia, the friendship and camaraderie developed within our group was an amazing asset to the time we spent there together. My time with SIT Tunisia will always be one I will remember with great happiness and love. I already have plans to return this coming summer and hope to return with great frequency!!

A little over 4 years later and i still miss this country like i just came back a month ago. I studied abroad in fall of 2012. I wanted to go somewhere different than everyone else who studies abroad, somewhere with a rich culture, and a different experience. That's exactly what i got. I don't want to seem as if im being cheesy but i loved every minute i was there. To start, professors of my program were great. They really showed that there cared about us as a student and worked to ensure that we fully enjoyed and grew from our experience. My host family did the same, i stayed with my host mom and sister. It was kinda hard to speak with my host mom since i didnt speak french, but she always did her very best to be patient, teach me and learn some english words to make it easier. Food, fantastic..enough said. Environment, overall great. The people were all really friendly. Might tease a bit at your broken french or arabic, but only then offered to help more. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, the kind of scenery that allowed me to walk around for hours and just stare. I always felt like there was something to do. The classes were not difficult and always offered opportunity for further immersion into the culture. I fully reccomend this program to anyone. Not only did I love my experience, but i met 13 other people that i felt like ive known my entire life. I dream of going back.

The Experiment for International Living came to my school in Connecticut and I was very interested in becoming part of their summer program. I chose Tanzania because I never would have thought to go there on my own. On the trip I not only learned more about Tanzanian wildlife, ecology and culture but was able to experience it all first hand. From living with a host family for a week to driving through the glorious Ngorongoro Crater, the adventure never stopped. Another aspect of the trip I thoroughly enjoyed, was the last week and a half of traveling through different tribal villages and national parks and being able to camp and learn with the traditional tribes of Tanzania. Everyone on the trip was very friendly and welcoming to us and this was a trip I will never forget.

Choosing to study abroad in India was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Given the chance to spend three and a half months learning about and immersing yourself in a different culture, it's important to find a place that will always surprise and excite you. When else will you have the opportunity to explore a country as diverse as India for an entire semester?

SIT Study Abroad programs offer unique experiential-based learning. Rather than sitting in a classroom every day, you're able to visit the places you're studying and come to understand the historical and cultural context of the material. Adjusting to life in India can be exhausting and frustrating at times, but I can't imagine a more fulfilling feeling than realizing you're actually comfortable navigating the chaos of New Delhi - it prepares you for pretty much any future life experience! This program allows students to explore the rich and diverse history, art, architecture, religion, language, and identity of Indian culture and you will find yourself amazed and enriched every single day.

I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to have a study abroad experience in a city that is full of life. I felt that I learned a extensive amount about Chile during a interesting time to be the politically. I am still very connected to many of the Chileans I met there as well a some people in my American group. I highly recommend this program if you are interested in the topic of education. There is also the opportunity to explore more rural areas in Chile as well as Buenos Aires Argentina. The variety within the program was exciting.

If you are looking to challenge yourself or are an Honors student, this is definitely the right program. You will get real, invaluable experience. Coming back from Argentina, I found that many of the things I personally experienced there were coming up in many of the courses I was taking at home. This allowed me to be able to relate to many more people and experiences and has since given me an edge that other students don't have.

SIT is a very strong program provider for a multitude of reasons, but in my experience, its most valuable assets are the experiential learning component and the Independent Study Project structure.
With regards to language acquisition, I can think of no better way to gain skills than immersion. Although immediate immersion can be intimidating, the Social Movements and Human Rights (SMHR) program directors educated us on the importance of constant practice in our learning process. Furthermore, we were encouraged to speak Spanish to exercise respect and appreciation for Argentine culture, as well as a gateway to forming grounded relationships with our Argentine friends. My home stay in particular provided me with a comfortable environment in which I could struggle through the learning process with my host mom, who helped me gain so much confidence! The structure of the program also allowed my group to learn outside the classroom on a daily basis, a component that in retrospect pushed us to gain a deeper understanding of the practical applications of the theoretical concepts taught in the classroom.
The Independent Study Project (ISP) gave us the space to form professional and personal connections with Argentinians. While the academic rigors of the ISP challenged me on a daily basis, I also gained the research experience of conducting interviews in Spanish and writing a qualitative research paper. I'm actually currently continuing various components of my research back at my university in the US!