SFS Semester: Marine Resource Studies in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Studying abroad in South Caicos was an absolutely life changing experience. From being surrounded and immersed by living in the beautiful Caribbean, to meeting lifelong friends, I would recommend anyone even remotely interested giving it a chance. Detached from the "real world" and not always glued to our phones or computers also put many of us in a position to really take time to develop personally, something I am forever grateful for. This coupled with a group of students and staff who feel like family, make the whole program entirely worthwhile. South Caicos stole my heart and I have no doubt I'll be back soon!

I began looking into studying abroad between my freshmen and sophomore year. My study abroad office and academic advisor gave me the SFS program and I saw that they had a program in Turks and Caicos. At first, I was wary of going to a secluded island where they don't have a major town or city near by, but after going on a dive trip I decided that I needed to go to TCI because I loved diving and being in the water so much; and let me tell you it was the best decision I have ever made. The staff are all amazing people who are genuine and want to help you succeed. I loved being able to be out in the field almost every day. The locals are so nice and I really recommend getting to know them. The field station itself truly became home. I loved all the little events that our SAM put on for us like spa night, volleyball tournaments, and of course trivia night. This experience was definitely life changing for the better! When I tell people about my experience, I tell them I cried on my way there (I was nervous) and I cried on the way back (I didn't want to leave my second family). This program has helped me determine that I do want to go into the marine field, pursue grad school, and who knows, maybe even end up back on South as an intern.

When I was looking for study abroad programs I had my heart set on going somewhere like London or Sydney. My mom found this program and told me I should look into it more. I ended up choosing this program because of the unique opportunities that it provided. The appeal of studying in a place like London is that you have the ability to travel in Europe. Well, you can do that at any age. There are extremely limited opportunities for you to live on an island in the Caribbean for three and a half months while scuba diving and exploring the coral reefs. This is the adventure everyone needs while they're growing up. This trip changed so many of my perspectives from a cultural view and really provided the unparalleled adventure that I was looking for. I am not a Marine Science major or even a Biology major, I'm and Environmental Studies major, so you should not be worried about not having the proper educational foundation when entering the program. If you're on the fence about it, all I have to say is do it! You just might surprise yourself.

The Turks and Caicos program offered through the School for Field Studies is one of the most unique and rewarding experiences I have ever had. Essentially, you are grouped together with 35ish other students who will become some of your best friends, 10 or so faculty members that will become some of your most helpful advisors, professors, and friends you will have as well as 1,200 local residents, fisherman, shop owners, and children who will accept you as soon as you step onto their island.
The facilities were perfect for the experience I was looking for: a place where I could unplug, relax, perform rewarding research and learning how to dive. The diving was fantastic and extremely unique. While people may give you weird looks when you tell them where you went abroad but that just gives you an excuse to brag.
You will not regret going to this program. It's life changing.

This study abroad program was an amazing experience. I gained so much knowledge and experience at the Center for Marine Resource Studies. I was able to go snorkeling almost everyday as part of class work and just for fun. I swam with turtles, sharks, spotted eagle rays, and so many other types of fish. As part of the semester each student works on a directed research project. For mine I spent every night catching lemon sharks. I had an amazing time throughout the semester. I learned a lot about the ocean, marine resources, and myself.

There are lots of specific parts of the program's structure that i woukd change, but overall the professors are knowledgeable and the environment is spectacular. The small size of the island keeps everyone interacting with the community and the scenery keeps everyone interested and engaged.

Snorkeling and scuba diving for class cannot be beat- I learned so much by seeing the marine environment every day. I loved the scuba diving, we saw whales, researched sharks, and learned so much about the local community. My highlights were watching sunsets every night, wednesday morning dives, and teaching environmental ed to the local community. Academics aren't too hard, which is actually pretty nice.

I went in a religion major, but came out a bio major. This program gave my life a new direction. Almost everyday I had the opportunity to be in the water either snorkeling or diving. The dive and snorkel sites are second to none. The classes will challenge you academically, but they do a great job of integrating the field with the classroom. I didn't have a single day abroad where I was in the classroom for the full day. I had the opportunity to go both "turtling" and "sharking" (all for research purposes), which was one of the ways I was able to get involved in the research at the center. Directed research was the highlight of my semester. My group worked with sting rays for four weeks straight and got to present our findings to the community. The availability for community outreach and service is readily availably to the students, if that is an interest. If you love the ocean and don't mind warm weather and a lack of showers, this is the program for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I learned a lot (probably 150+ organisms by their scientific names, as an example), met some friends I will have for life, dove in a beautiful and diverse ecosystem, and had the experience if a lifetime. Despite few freshwater showers and frequent meals of rice and beans, I liked living in the center because the closeness led to tight friendships and trust. The interns, professors, SAM, and other staff were all so helpful and friendly. I would say there was about a 1 day adjustment period for me, then I didn't want to ever leave!