IFSA Contemporary India

Studying with IFSA in Pune, India, was an experience of a lifetime. I chose this program because my college mentor had recommended it to me when I struggling to find a program in India that fit my needs. Pune isn't always the first city people think of when they think of India, but it's definitely the best place to study abroad. The city itself is easy to travel around but is packed with enough places to visit that you'll never be out of things to do. There's a huge local student population so there's plenty of chances to make new friends.
The program staff in Pune were amazing, all of my program mates and I became very close to them especially our program director. Uttaraa was extremely attentive to our needs and if we had any questions about volunteering or tutoring she was always on top of it to find us the best options. Not to mention, the classes were steeped in a level of academic rigor that was similar to my home university, which I really appreciated. I genuinely felt like I was learning new and nuanced facts about India that really informed my view of the country as a whole as well as enhancing my view of the world overall.
My homestay experience was also amazing, I was housed with 2 other students in an easily accessible location and a more than welcoming host. Our host treated us like family and even bought 2 of us cakes on our birthdays and celebrated with us. She provided us tea before we would leave for school (IFSA program site provided breakfast, lunch was up to us) and amazing dinners in the evening. She would make something new everyday and it was yet another way for us to learn about Indian culture through our everyday interactions.
Continually, I grew really close to my friends in the program and since it was a small program, it made it easier for us to go out and experience this city together. We were all lucky to have gotten so close and we cherished our time together, but that would not have been possible without IFSA and the amazing resident staff.
I think IFSA really cares to make every part of your study abroad experience meaningful and tailored to your needs. There's not a detail that's overlooked and spending time in the vibrant cultural hub that is India is something I'll never forget! If you're looking for a program that is supportive and really challenges you to learn about the world around you, look no further. This is the program for you!

I am a mechanical engineering student, so the liberal arts courses offered were outside of what I was used to studying. This was a great way for me to expand my horizons and learn some new things. The professors and staff on this program are all amazing. The program size is usually small, so you get to know your classmates super well. The homestay component is really amazing. There are also opportunities to learn art/dance/music forms and perform in the closing ceremony. There is time to travel independently, and the staff even helped us arrange weekend trips to nearby cities. I completed a full-time engineering internship the last month of this program in the prosthetics center of a very large hospital. I would recommend this program for anyone looking to go well outside their comfort zones.

I would recommend studying abroad in India for anyone who thinks their future academic work relates to it. It's a very different society, and definitely challenging in a lot of ways. While the program should have been supportive and understanding, they were actually the source of all my problems. I would describe the staff as unforgiving, unsupportive, and unaccommodating. You don't get any sick days. If you're sick, you have to suck it up and go to class, which starts at 8 and goes until 6 pm. You are treated like a child. The academics are a joke. No one cares. You have packed days where they try to prevent you from seeing India. You are trapped in a horrible classroom, squirreled away from all the other students and people your age. A few of the teachers are incredibly kind. The Hindi teacher they have is abusive and cruel. The resident staff is the opposite of understanding, especially if you're brown. If you can pass as India, expect a double standard at every turn. God. What a waste of time, energy, and money. I wish I had just lived in India off of grant money!!

I would highly recommend the experience of studying abroad in India, just maybe on a different program. The staff are really nice but they are pretty disorganized and absent and struggle to receive feedback. The homestay experience is worth while and the classes vary by professor, but overall they’re pretty good. There’s room for improvement, the core course is awesome and the electives depend on the professor. Feedback isn’t received by the staff so the professor of the core contemporary India course takes It upon himself to get feedback and improve his syllabus. It was a good experience but would have been better on a more organized program. I’d like to see the staff succeed. Things however fall apart when it depends on their follow through.

From the moment I arived in china until the day I left, the company and my host family made me feel at home and so relaxed. They truly helped me make it a very memorable experience. I've learn a lot about the culture of China through the culture activities and culture classes they gave, all of them were really enjoyable and gave me a whole new look at China. The language classes was of an exceptional standard and the teacher got us all involved which made the learning so much easier and in all I really enjoyed taking the classes.

Thanks to Aupairia and all the ladies in the office for the chance to experience all these great things.

I had the most amazing time in India on this program. Though everything was not perfect, it was a great experience to learn how to handle situations on my own and learn a lot about myself. It was definitely hard being in India since it is such a different environment from what I am used to. But it was also the beset decision I ever made. I loved my host family and the others that were in my program, they made my experience so great. I got to learn so much while I was there especially outside the classroom and got to meet such great people in Pune.
Though it was very difficult at times I have no regrets with my decisions.

I really enjoyed every aspect of studying abroad in Pune, India for approximately four months. The food was so delicious and inexpensive! I really enjoyed interacting with the locals and learning more of the culture by attending festivities like a baby shower, wedding, thread ceremony, and Holi! I lived with a wonderful host mom who included me as part of her family. I lived about fifteen minutes away by rickshaw from the college. I did the internship component and was able to work with an organization that works with slum dwelling communities. During the weekends, I would explore Pune or neighboring places such as Goa, Mahabaleshwar, and local villages. There is also a week of travel and I decided to visit New Delhi, Dharamsala, and Amritsar.

I studied in Pune, India for 7 weeks over the summer through Alliance for a Global Education. I stayed with a host family near the college where I had class every morning. In the afternoon I worked on a research project using Indian college students. Most everyone else had an internship. Weekends were for exploring the city and short travel trips, including an excursion to a rural village.