Program Reviews

I had an unforgettable and immeasurable experience in Spain with SIT. Although an intensive program it was full of valuable information taught by experienced professors and professionals alike. SIT provided ample resources and student aid throughout the program's entirety. I learned about the stark differences between sustainable development and overall urban planning in the EU, specifically Spain, and the United States. This information was heavily reliant on experiential learning. Overall this program showed me where I want to go in my career and I am currently awaiting an admissions decision for a master's program in Belgium.

Prior to the program, I realized I didn't love learning as much as I used to. I hoped this program would remedy that...and boy did it deliver! Our classes were purposeful, but engaging. Excursions were the highlight, and classes during these portions consisted of long, leisurely hikes or snorkeling multiple times a day. Learning was fun. Our more traditional classes in the city were also engaging, with many breakouts into small-groups or with guest lecturers from a variety of fields.

This program gave me so much I would not have had at my university. It was extremely hands-on (think getting up at 6 to go on a 2-hr birding expedition before breakfast, then going to a river after breakfast to collect water samples and analyze them yourself), comprehensive (we visited so many places in the country), taught me how to do independent research (the program culminates for a month-long research project you do yourself), and provided me connections I still maintain. On top of this, it was extremely supportive (the professors were always available and approachable). Though it was a tough decision to leave my university for the semester, I am glad I did.

Additionally, I study environmental engineering; as such, I am used to examining similar issues we learned about but from a completely different angle. I was glad to gain an understanding of the biological/conservation side of environmental issues. I was able to learn what other considerations should go into decisions of engineering rather than just efficiency.

Switzerland is a beautiful country and I love being able to say that I lived and studied there for a time. Geneva is a great place to study international relations and I really stepped out of my comfort zone and gained a lot of confidence through this program and just by being there. My host family was amazing and inviting and helped my French improve immensely. I had several experiences that helped me grow personally and professionally. There could've been some more structure/organization on the academic side but it was an overwhelmingly positive study abroad experience that I recommend to anyone considering it.

There were many aspects of the program that I loved. Morocco was such a great experience and really cool that it was covered by SIT and that we were able to all go as a group. We had classes where we learned about the medical system in Morocco and were able to talk to traditional midwives and healers which was very interesting to me. We would also go on excursions and one of them was this hike up this massive sand dune which was amazing; I felt like I was on a different planet! We also learned about their culture through a homestay.

The program is really comprehensive and I learned so much regarding global health from experts in the field. We had guest lecturers from the International Red Cross, the United Nations, governmental organizations, and NGOs all working in the health sector. The academics were so interesting and we had two projects where you picked what you were interested in and conducted research based on that which was really cool that we could research almost anything we wanted. Some lectures inspired me so much to the point of helping me figure out what direction I want to go in for my future!

This program is focused on academics I would say which I enjoyed but was challenging at some points because class started at 9 and would go sometimes until 5. We would have 3-hour lectures from 9-12 then a lunch break from 12-2 then either a French class or a field trip from 2-5. For me, my homestay was an hour bus ride away so my days were pretty busy. That was the most challenging adjustment for me because I did not have a lot of free time during the week or time to exercise. But, some of my friends lived closer to classes so they were able to have more free time, it just depends on where you get placed for your homestay. And, eventually, I decided to romanticize it because my bus ride included beautiful views of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps!!

I have friends that went abroad to a university and they barely did any school work and just traveled and did whatever they wanted which they loved and sometimes I was jealous of that but I am really happy that I decided to do this program in the end because the staff was amazing, the people in my group were so kind and because it was a small group we got really close, traveling from Switzerland was easy because it’s in the center of Europe, I got to ski and hike in the alps!!!, I have contacts that I can reach out to that are experts and leaders in world-renowned organizations in the health field, and Switzerland is so beautiful! I would say if you’re looking for a semester with more free time maybe looking at university instead of SIT, but if you’re looking to immerse yourself through making connections with a Swiss homestay family and studying global health and development policy then I would say this program will do that.

This program was perfect for me and I really enjoyed it as it met all my expectation of an academically intense program, where I was able to use and improve my Spanish that had a focus in public health (I am interested in medicine, so this was perfect for me!) that allowed me to get to know Argentine culture, meet local argentines, and learn a lot about public health (especially in Argentina). Buenos Aires is also an amazing city with so much to offer and explore, so I really liked getting to live (with a host family) and explore the culture and activites!

My favorite things about this program were the location in Valparaiso and the week-long excursions we did in both the northern and southern regions of Chile. The opportunity to spend time with and learn from the Aymara people in the north of Chile and the Mapuche people in the south of Chile was what initially drew me to this program over other programs in South America. I believe that there is room for improvement in the structure of some of the classes and the administration of the program, but overall I had a great experience.

I have wanted to study abroad ever since I was in middle school, and this program completely fulfilled my hopes for what my time abroad would be like. In terms of language development, it was very useful. We lived with host families who cooked us breakfast and dinner, so we had plenty of opportunities to speak Spanish with them. All classes were in Spanish too, and during our frequent travel trips (three weeks in total), we spoke with locals of all ages and backgrounds. The staff support is phenomenal as well! They were always checking in with us, answering any questions that came up, assisting with medical issues, and altering the program based on our feedback. We even had a group therapist! We were also given the opportunity to travel on our own, just not out of the country, and I even got to spend a week conducting research in Western Argentina on my program stipend. Overall, I had a lovely experience, learned so much, explored, and made lasting relationships - I still speak with my host mother weekly! I would highly recommend this program to those who want to be academically challenged and experience a very authentic side of the country.

I had an AMAZING time in Bilbao. It's a beautiful city on the coast, and I lived 5 minutes from the beach. The host family component combined with the intensive language courses really helped me grow in skill and confidence with my Spanish. The classes are interesting and professors are really helpful throughout. Not to mention, the excursions were so fun and there was still plenty of time to travel independently! We went on excursions around the Basque Country every Friday for the first 1.5 months of the program, then did a week trip to Scotland and a week trip to Girona. The last month of the program was an independent study portion where we could travel independently throughout the weeks while working on a research project. It was truly such an amazing experience. I gained confidence with Spanish, independence traveling alone in Europe, and amazing friends!

Going to Jordan with SIT was an absolutely amazing experience. The four main highlights of the trip for me were the host family experience, the excursions, the ISP, and the staff. I was really nervous about staying with a host family, especially because students don’t have any information about their families before arriving in the country. Despite this I ended up loving my host family experience. I became close with the family that I stayed with and am still in contact with them after returning to the US. Living with a host family was great for getting a better understanding of day to day life in Jordan and practicing Arabic.

I felt like I was really able to become part of the family. I went to family birthday parties and helped my host sister tutor her cousin. One thing that I took away from the host family experience was the importance of making an effort. Even if there is a language barrier you can still make deep and meaningful connections. My host family really appreciated it when I offered to help out around the house with cooking or cleaning, and inviting my host sister to hang out with me and my friends from the program helped us bond a lot. While staying with a host family can be really scary, I think it is worth it to get a better understanding of the new culture you are living in and make lasting connections abroad. My host family experience was particularly amazing, but for people on the program who did not get along as seamlessly SIT was able to work with them to reach an understanding with their families or find new families for them.

The excursions were an important part of the SIT experience. SIT took us on several tours in Jordan which both provided a small break from classroom learning, and made it so that students didn’t have to organize and plan their own trips to those places of interest. If students want to go to other places that SIT does not have an excursion to, they can organize their own trips, but you are only allowed to go on one overnight trip that is not with SIT and no international travel is allowed outside of the planned trip to Turkey.

SIT requires students to either complete an internship or an ISP (independent study project). I chose to do an ISP. The ISP pushed me to work on my time management skills because there is a month after classes end that is dedicated to the ISP. There are no hard deadlines during this period, and because it seemed so long, it was easy to underestimate the time needed to do the research. The ISP was difficult, but I am so glad I did it. I learned a lot, and it was the first time I have been able to do in depth human subject research.

Finally, the SIT staff are absolutely amazing. All the teachers and staff really cared about our well being and were available at any time to help with any concerns. They were very supportive and were invested in our learning and experience.

I learned more about myself from this experience abroad.
- I learned more about the different financial institutions and structures. I learned more about Corporate Social Responsibility. I learned more about sustainability and how the UN is working toward its goals along with different institutions.
- Growing up, I was not too exposed to the nature and activities related to that. In Switzerland, there are so many opportunities to explore not only the places that are party focused, but also the places where your mind, body, and soul could all come into a symbiosis. I constantly was in awe about the things that I saw, and (that may sound cliche, but truly !) started feeling a little more recognizant of my role as a steward of the earth in protecting these riches given to us by nature.
- I did an internship in Switzerland, and the internship I did there was a testament of how different people in other countries view work and life balance: there physically going to eat daily with your coworkers or managers was a ritual more than it was a luxury. I have always found myself eating in front of my computer during lunch. It put into perspective the value of relationships at work.
- I was faced with making very harsh decisions for myself, and I am proud to say that though they were difficult having been abroad in an environment that was completely unknown, but still being able to figure life out was a testament to myself that the sky is truly the limit and staying in your comfort zone is never going to make you grow to your highest limit.