SIT Study Abroad Reviews

SIT Morocco provides its students with an in-depth cultural and educational exchange experience that is safe and most importantly, fun. I felt like I was part of a community of like-minded students who were genuinely engaged with the local community, but also interested in traveling and living each day to the fullest. I loved my home stay family, and found that the SIT program staff were really helpful for dealing with cultural adjustment issues, health issues, etc. Most days consisted of a couple hours of language classes in the morning, and then seminars and guest speaker sessions in the afternoons with members of the government, non-profit organizations, and important public figures. SIT schedules several group tours to different regions in Morocco, which were probably the highlight. In addition to being a nice break from traditional classroom learning, these trips allow you to see much more of the country than you could on your own.

Madagascar, while a very beautiful country to visit, is also a very dangerous place to visit. The country poses many health risks daily from a number of sources, as well as safety risks regarding unpaved roads, vehicle break-downs, dangerous people, constant harassment, and bias against foreigners.
Most of the students on my program got ill at one point, and I was the most ill as I got a parasite - an ameoba - early on in the journey. My professors' and leaders' ability to sympathize and help me deal with this very real, horribly agonizing, traumatic experience was very poor. They weren't able to get me to proper medical attention, and their ability to sympathize and help was mediocre.
After experiencing this, when I went home early the program refused to refund my parents the remaining part of the trip, even though I had to leave due to terrible illness and had missed 40% of the trip. I thought this was unethical and a cruel punishment for having endured what I endured. If only I had left earlier, right?
The leaders of my trip also did not properly prepare us for the treacheries that the country would provide, as when my fellows were hiking through the jungle and got parasites in their feet, infections up their legs, and leeches on their bodies during their ISP projects.
One of my fellows, during our village stays, was vomiting the entire time. She was very sick and living in the desert, and our leaders Jim and Barry refused to let her go back to the hotel they were stay at. I found this horrible. She was violently ill, and she was forced to stay in the grounds of the village stay until the end and dance through the hot desert to our final party so they could maintain "good relations" with the village.

I felt that serious medical issues were poo pooed due to the desire to keep the program a good reputation, and my fellows and I had to deal with our issues in a manner I didn't find comforting or necessary.
I had fun because my fellow students were able to take care of me and support me, but only to a point. If my leaders were to take my health issues more seriously, perhaps one of them would have been logical enough to ask for a basic stool sample and figure out that I had a parasite. I feel that especially in a place like Madagascar, this would have been a basic and intuitive thing to do, especially for people who have lived in the country for so long. When I had to leave early they were surprised, which I find disorienting considering the massive pain I was in for two months.
I feel cheated due to the lack of refund, and that the program was very unsympathetic. I would not recommend this program to my friends due to the sketchy nature of SIT, having not refunded my parents after this issue. I find it very disrespectful, and an irrational policy with no amendments for serious health issues.

I loved Peru, and really recommend seeing this country and getting to know its people. The program didn't prepare me as well as I thought it would for the ISP research month, but it turned out well anyway and I'm so glad to have this research to help me in the future. I loved living with a host family, the excursions, and the topic of the program. Overall a great experience.

Studying abroad in Ecuador through SIT was the best decision I could have made. I was provided with a unique cultural, language, and academic experience, growing not only as a student but also as a person. My language skills in Spanish improved drastically through continuos practice with local Ecuadorians and through language classes. This program allowed the students to travel throughout most of the country, from the cloud forest, to the volcanic glacier region, to the Galapagos Islands, and to the Amazon jungle. The Independent Study Project (ISP) was also an amazing experience, and I personally felt so rewarded when I left my ISP knowing that I had contributed to the work of an organization. All in all, I would choose this program again if given the option.

This program let me travel throughout Ecuador to lots of cool places, including the Galapagos, the cloud forest, and a very isolated part of the Amazon. If you like nature, its a great fit. The host families were wonderful. The Independent Study Project at the end of the trip was definitely a highlight. We got to travel by ourselves to work on a natural resourcesrelated research project of our choosing, generally working through local non-profits. For mine, I worked with camera traps of spectacled bears in the cloud forest to understand their patterns. It was part of a larger research project done through the Ecuadorian government and the University of Quito. Getting to put my knowledge to use in that way was wonderful.

I enjoyed this program and made some great new American friends but I wasn't able to interact in the local culture as much as I had wanted to. It was hard to make friends outside of the program and the majority of the program is female. I liked my classes though because they were all public health focused which was a nice change-up from my university and I was able to really understand the Argentinian public health system. Buenos Aires is an AMAZING city and I loved living there.

I stepped off the plan with tons of emotions and quickly felt comforted by the warm smiles on the Staff's faces. This was just the beginning of their kindness and support. I loved the character of this city. Although the neighborhoods were distinct from one another, together this city was inviting and peaceful. Together we accomplished so much and each day we took away another lovely memory. One of the highlights of my trip was my home stay. I had the most wonderful home stay experienced I could have imagined. I could barely hold a conversation in Spanish with my host mother for the first week but she was extremely patient and kind to me. We formed a strong relationship, something that I did not expect at my level of Spanish. Even with all of these wonderful parts and the continuos excitement, there were many moments where I wanted to connect and speak fluently with my host family or new friends and I felt limited. I had to stop worrying about messing up and go with it and this was a lesson for me in many ways.

Through this program, I was able to achieve all of my study abroad goals. I not only learned about the country and culture itself, I also learned a lot about who I am as a person.

Academically it was different than what I was used to. We did spend time in the classroom discussing readings, theories, and concepts; however, we also utilized the experiential side to learning. We learned through a variety of trips, expeditions, organizational visits, and more. This is a major tenant of the SIT Study Abroad model, and definitely one of my favorite aspects. Learning from a book inside a classroom is one thing, but really engaging with the community and having hands-on experiences makes a huge difference.

The directors and program staff are also always available and very inviting. They want you to excel and get the most out of the experience.

The social scene was also very fun and exciting. From the theater, outdoor markets and many museums to the all-night "boliches," you are bound to find fun ways to fill your time. The food was also amazing! I find myself craving dishes I commonly ate while in Argentina.

The exchange rate was favorable to the US dollar, and it was not too difficult to find inexpensive food/activities/means of travel.

In this program, students stay with host families. I think this is a great way to improve your Spanish communication skills and also to immerse yourself in the culture. I really enjoyed spending time with my host family, and we have kept in contact!

Living in Arica, Chile has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. Studying the public health system, the injustices and cosmovisions of the indigenous populations, meeting people from all walks of life, ad being able to converse with them in Spanish has inspired me in every aspect of my life.

Academically, I feel so much more educated about public health issues, history, and how policies directly affect the lives of individuals. The constant emersion into Chilean Spanish (which is distinct from classroom spanish) has made me fluent, more comfortable, and able to express myself in ways I never could before.

Socially, I fell in love with my host family and learned so much about Chilean food, culture, and history.

Here are some positives and negatives that I encountered during my time in Arica:

HIGHLIGHTS:

-The director of the program is SUPER knowledgable and you will really learn a lot from her. The program would not be the same without her.

-This program is CHALLENGING but in the most rewarding ways. At first, it is really difficult to communicate with people in Spanish. But after a few weeks, you really notice a change in your verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Plus, most people I met were very patient with language barriers.

-TRAVEL is an awesome part of this program. 3 trips are built in to various parts of Chile and one in Peru. It really gives you a sense of the culture and history more. It also allows you to talk to many people such as individuals that identify with the Mapuche and Aymara populations that you otherwise may never have met.

-ISP (Independent Study Project). This was probably my favorite part of the program. You have freedom to study what interests you and travel in your free time. It's amazing!

-ARICA IS BEAUTIFUL!

CHALLENGES/NEGATIVES:

-The classes are all American students which is good because you get to go your own pace with learning Spanish... but it's also frustrating because it doesn't really integrate you into the University.

-Punctuality rarely exists in informal settings, but it's a different lifestyle and it's fun to adjust to it.

- You have to be open-minded to have a blast on this program, but that can be said for anything you ever do in life. Go with the flow!

India is an incredibly interesting and diverse country and SIT did a phenomenal job of helping us understand complex development processes with cultural context. With the Independent Study Project, I felt like I was able to challenge myself and really dive into a topic that interested me. The SIT Staff could not have been more helpful--they helped us feel like students instead of just tourists and were incredibly kind. While India can sometimes be a harsh country to live and travel in, I grew so much and this program truly changed the way that I look at the world!