India is great. IFSA Pune? Absolutely not.

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!!