Home away from home

I recently completed the Summer Course program at Ashoka University, and overall I'd call it a worthwhile experience for anyone considering a shorter-term study abroad option in South Asia.
Academics
The program compresses a full semester's worth of academic rigor into six weeks, which means the workload is intense but manageable if you stay organized. With 40 contact hours per course, classes met frequently, and the material moved quickly. I appreciated that professors didn't dumb things down for the accelerated format — the courses felt just as substantive as a regular semester offering, just condensed. If you're taking two courses at once (which the program allows, for those wanting the full 8 Ashoka credits/15 ECTS), be prepared for a genuinely busy schedule with limited downtime during the week.
Facilities and Support
Housing was dormitory-style and included in the program fee, along with meals, campus wifi, and access to facilities. This bundled pricing made budgeting simple, since I didn't have to think much about day-to-day costs once I arrived. The campus itself was clean, well-maintained, and had a good mix of international and local students, which made it easy to make friends quickly despite the short duration.
Cultural Experience
Outside of coursework, the program included activities and heritage walks that gave a good introduction to Indian history and culture. These felt well-organized rather than rushed, and paired naturally with what we were learning in class. Weekends were largely free, so students who wanted to explore Delhi or take short trips elsewhere had the flexibility to do so, though this required some independent planning since transportation beyond program activities wasn't included.