Program Reviews

I learned a lot about the local culture and life in Samoa. I also learned a lot about the environment, how it has changed, and how this impacts the community and culture. I think it was very worthwhile, especially as someone who is studying the relationship between people and the environment. I loved my experience in this program. I learned a lot and it was fantastically relevant to my educational goals. I would definitely do it again, but it did come with some challenges. This program is not easy when it comes to overcoming struggles and new experiences.

I had such a wonderful time throughout the entirety of this program. The best part was staying with the host family. I went in with some Arabic knowledge but no knowledge of Moroccan Arabic or French, and my host family spoke no English, but by the end of the program we grew quite close and I still speak with them frequently.
I loved walking around the neighborhood where all the students lived, sitting at cafes, exploring other cities in Morocco, and the week excursion to Amsterdam! I also really appreciated that we got the chance to connect with students from the SIT program in Amsterdam. All the staff of SIT as well as at the center where we studied were so kind and helpful. Truly the best time ever.

This program gives an incredible experience taking you through the history, culture, and language of the Tibet and the Himalayas. Kathmandu is a wonderful place to live, and the homestay gives safety and built in family. Courses are experiential: the only way to learn abroad. The Tibetan language course is fun and lively, but it also helps in the smaller commutes in the mountains and in India. Academically, I came home with a vast knowledge of the cultural landscape of Nepal, Tibet, and the Himalayas.

It was such an amazing experience to go to Bali. The people, nature, and energy can make us put the world on pause and put things in perspective. It was an incredible semester and if you are a student who wants to be challenged and learn how to be comfortable when feeling uncomfortable, this program will give you a safe space to do that. Being away from your culture makes everything a learning experience in which you must keep adjusting yourself to know how to fit into this new and strange environment.

I had such an extraordinary time in Nepal and India! The people that this program brought together are some of my lifelong friends, not to mention the academics and community members that SIT brings into your orbit are extraordinary. The staff (Isabelle and Patty especially) will help you make this program into exactly what you want it to be. I came to Nepal with the intention of writing my undergraduate honors thesis and had the support and connections to make it happen during the ISP period. I highly recommend this program to anyone and everyone looking to challenge themselves in a new environment, delve into a part of history and geopolitics that is often ignored in US academics, and eat more momos than you thought was possible! I have participated in other study abroad programs in the past and I think this one was the best at creating a safe and productive environment while allowing plenty of autonomy to get the most out of traveling to a new part of the world.

There were so many highlights of my time in Jordan, I really don’t know where to begin. First, the fact that the staff are native Jordanians makes this a much more authentic experience because they truly know Amman and can guide you throughout the city. They are such hospitable people that they made me feel right at home in Jordan. My homestay experience was amazing, and they are vetted by SIT, and they ensured that I was integrated into the culture and provided an amazing home environment and such good food. The excursions to the North of Jordan, South of Jordan and Turkey were also very well thought out and ran smoothly and provided a deeper understanding of the program themes. The classes were rigorous but fascinating, and I particularly enjoyed Psychology of Peace. The classes were intimate and provided more one-on-one time with the professors.

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.