SIT Study Abroad Reviews

I loved this program because it gave such a holistic view of life in Chile and, specifically, healthcare delivery. On a weekly basis we would visit health clinics of all sizes and specialties. Daily, we attended classes at the local university including Spanish Language, Public Health, and Research methods. Each day we had a break to go home to eat lunch with our host families, which was WONDERFUL. I spent nights and weekends with my host family and loved getting to know them and their friends. Every 3 or so weeks we took excursions to different parts of the region: the Altiplano in the Parinacota province, Temuco in Southern Chile and Bariloche, Argentina, and to Tacna in Peru. For the ISP period, I went to Santiago for research on the availability of services for people with intellectual disabilities. The program staff was fantastic and incredibly supportive, especially during the ISP period when we were essentially independent.

This program was definitely everything I looked for - you don't spend too many hours in conventional classes but you'll learn a ton. Argentina has almost limitless chances to get to know a place that might seem similar to a Western city at first, but has a completely different attitude, culture and politics.

My host parents were impressed with how much we got to know Argentina and BA - I was their first student from SIT and it really was different than the other experiences they described, and the stories my friends from competing programs described. The homestay will be what you make it - speak as much spanish as you can with your family, spend time with them, ask questions and say yes to any opportunities!

You'll have a few fancy meals of Argentine asado but also find the cheap lunch spots across BA – there's an awesome growing culinary culture and a million food blogs to go follow for recs.

There is no other study abroad in the world where you will canoe up the amazon and snorkel in the Galapagos Islands. GO to ECUADOR. The independent study program is amazing and will allow you to gain the skills needed to do research and work in this field in future careers!

The Independent Research Project is a unique opportunity, and was largely why I chose the program. You get to design and execute your own original research project on a topic of your choice. The structure is very individual based, and you have almost complete autonomy in doing this project. There are mentors, which vary from extremely helpful to no help at all.
The first 2-3 months, however, is very structured with educational excursions and immersion in various cultures throughout Peru. These are very helpful in developing the interview and field research skills necessary to execute and ISP.
I became very good friends with my group (we were only 11) and the directors were very supportive and helpful. My host family was always nice and a very good method of practicing my spanish and getting involved in the local scene.

I was looking for a program where I could be immersed in Spanish, be academically engaged, and travel a lot! The educational excursions and the independent research project really drew me in.

The best thing about this program was that you would never feel like you were stuck in a routine. Our main base was in Cuzco, the andes. About every two weeks we would take an educational excursion --the coast, the amazonian jungle, the high plains, the canyon.

In Cuzco I developed close friendships with my classmates, and had a great cultural experience with my host family. There were lots of opportunities to explore archaeological sites in the day time and the exciting nightlife in the evenings.

The independent research project was very rewarding--I got to design the study, conduct interviews and write an analysis in Spanish. I feel like I gained a lot of professional skills as well as confidence during my study abroad experience. I would highly recommend this program.

Money: I definitely spent much more than what was given in the stipend. You are given about R$20 a school day to spend on transportation and lunch. Lunch is generally weighed by the kilo so the more you get the more you spend, I think I got around R$14-15 every day (it's kind of expensive depending on where you go) and then it's R$5 to and from school using the bus. However, the stipend does not cover all of the things you do on the weekends, weeknights, taxis etc. so I would be prepared to bring as much extra spending money as possible. Taxis are about the same cost as they are in the United States but otherwise everything else is pretty cheap comparatively. I did not keep track of my spending that well but I know I came in probably with at least R$1000 just in case.

Free time: Therewas not that much free time on SIT. That being said, knowing that in the beginning is important so that you utilize every spare moment you have in Salvador. We used to go to the beach after class every day and go out multiple times a week so that we could get to know the city and the locals. The way the program is set up, there is lots of traveling. As soon as you get settled, you will start to travel around. Bahia- which is great and was my favorite part, but be prepared to be uprooted. You will have a Spring break in which some people travel to Rio or the Amazon or wherever. My friends and I went to Itacare and Morro de Sao Paulo which you will hear a lot about because they were beautiful and I highly recommend going. If you want to travel extensively around Brazil I would highly recommend staying after the program ends to do so- that way you can make friends on the program and travel together after and you will have enough time to truly enjoy it.

Portuguese- I knew Portuguese coming to Brazil so I was definitely in a lucky minority. Most people in the program do not know any. I would recommend doing Rosetta Stone or looking through a language book now to start familiarizing yourself. Most Brazilians do not speak English so you will feel a lot more comfortable knowing a little Portuguese, and it will also put you in a higher level Portuguese class so you will learn more. This was probably the biggest complaint from my group, because there was a lot of miscommunication and people feeling totally lost. You will be fine as long as you are prepared for this feeling.

You will probably feel a little lonely and uncomfortable in your homestay the first couple of days. I promise you though, that uncomfortable feeling will go away. The SIT families have been doing this for years and they know how to host students and will not speak any English with you so that you learn faster- they are doing you a favor. Also it is really fun and they are so friendly and silly you will love them, so many people cried on the last day leaving them. They are a great resource- use them! Also we had no trouble meeting locals pretty immediately. Just being outgoing and going out to Pelourinho and Rio Vermelho will bring you closer to Brazilian locals. They are incredibly talkative and outgoing and love meeting Americans so it shouldn't be too hard with a little effort. Distance to homestay location really shouldn't be a problem. There were some people who lived further than others, but everyone is grouped near each other. When you are going home at night you are generally advised to cab anyways since public transportation is dangerous no matter where you live, so I wouldn't worry too much about this. One of the best semesters of my life, you get very close to your group and you will be sad to leave!

I loved this program. The staff was amazingly supportive and I learned more in the three months I was in Uganda than I have in all of my years of prior schooling. I was scared at first that I would not be safe in the country but I found out that as long as I was careful and acted appropriately I felt very secure. I felt safer in Gulu than I actually do in my home city of Philadelphia! Also, the access that you have through this program to local leaders who are involved in the post-conflict transformation process is outstanding. Through this program I was able to meet former LRA officers and members of the Ugandan parliament along with many more prominent individuals. The program is research based, but the staff is very supportive and was able to teach me (someone who had never before participated in research) how to perform proper research (my papers was one of the final ones published which I think shows the strength of my teachers far more than my individual academic capacity). Now the living arrangements are rustic, and at times the course material was highly emotional and heart-breaking, but if you have a sense of adventure and want an outstanding and unique experience, then this program is probably a perfect fit.

This program was such a life altering experience -- in such a great way!

First and foremost, the faculty, staff and home stay families are so wonderful. They truly care about their students and making the experience a positive one.

We got to travel all throughout the country and even to El Salvador -- excursions vary from semester to semester but there are some many different potential options ranging from the El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Cuba!

My favorite excursion was to the Caribbean coast. It's such a hidden gem and so different from any other location in Nicaragua. The tropical, island feel is wonderful! Great music, great food, and a really great time! I loved every minute of that excursion; there's nothing like living right on the ocean :)

Another wonderful opportunity this program offers is the month long independent project that closes out the semester. You can choose any topic to research and the wonderfully connected staff find you great advisors to help you with your projects that are unbelievably knowledgable. I studied at the main dance academy in Nicaragua studying the past and present of the modern dance movement within the country. My research brought about really great insight into Nicaraguan history overall as well as some valuable knowledge about eh Nicaraguan people. It even lead to me being awarded a Fulbright research grant to come back and continue that research post-college.

This program is definitely atypical for study abroad. It's not a easy semester away from college to party and go out on the town. While there are opportunities to have an active social life and night life, it is not the focus of the program. The academic experience is vigorous and is the center of the program. I learned more than I ever expected and worked really hard all semester long but loved every second of it.

I can't wait to get back to Nicaragua.. this experience most certainly made me fall in love with the country~

I had an exceptional experience studying abroad with SIT Balkans. When I was searching for study abroad programs I was drawn to SIT because of their focus on immersion and experiential learning, which the program in the Balkans certainly provided. The program is based in Serbia, but there were also excursions to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Kosovo. While living with a home stay family in Belgrade I felt truly immersed in the city - which is fascinating in and of itself.

One of the reasons I loved the program is that I was able to feel immersed and comfortable, while at the same time have an experience where no day was quite like the next. However, my typical day in Belgrade would involve going to classes in Serbian language and Peace and Conflict Studies with other students in the program, often times after class we would go to a cafe in the city or spend time with our home stay families.

As well as classes in Belgrade, the SIT program also requires an Independent Study Project as part the curriculum. Although the project seemed daunting at first, to leave the program with a unique project that I completed independently was an incredibly valuable academic experience, and one which I know I will be able to draw on in the future.

This is a great program for a self-directed student. The independent study and language program were perfect for me, and I gained great experience doing research and getting all I could from living in a new place. I had a fantastic time, loved my host family and the friends I made, and hope to return soon.