SIT Study Abroad: Panama: Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystem

This program was an amazing experience and I'm so grateful and glad I was able to be a part of it. The academics of the program are rigorous, but I learned so much and gained a mass of new skill sets. The setup of the program is a mix of lectures and fieldwork. The professors of each module are passionate about what they do and it is clearly reflected in the way they teach the materials. It's hard to say which module was my favorite, all were so unique and I learned so much. My biggest takeaway from the modules was to not procrastinate the assignments, and try to get them done in a timely manner as you move around a lot. Aly, Yari, and Yuri are amazing! It's definitely nerve-wracking going to a new country with people you've never met before, but everyone is in the same position and you get close to one another quickly. A recommendation, based on my group's general experience, is to bring a hefty amount of over-the-counter medicine, especially for stomach-related issues, and Tylenol instead of Advil! As for the homestays within the program, that was my favorite part of the program! They helped my Spanish speaking skills so much and it was so special to be apart of different families homes. All my host families were so sweet and all had pets, which helped immensely whenever I got homesick. Regarding dietary restrictions, I am lactose and gluten intolerant, and for the most part, the homestays were very accommodating, but you do have to advocate for yourself and let your host parents know your dietary restrictions. Overall, this program is amazing. It definitely can be draining at times, as you move around a lot and almost always have homework, but it is so worth it in every way and I hope to go back to Panama one day!

I gained an incredibly amount of knowledge and understanding inside and outside of the classroom. I felt challenged to look beyond the curriculum I'd been presented with at my home institution at the people and environments at the heart of tropical ecology. I was immersed in both local communities in Panama and in a community of SIT students which not only made me feel at home, but also safe and supported. There was a great mixture of rigor in the classroom and experiential learning! The first excursion (3 weeks of travel) is dedicated to the human ecology class, where you have a lot more free, unstructured time. The second excursion is geared towards comparative tropical ecology, which is very very structured but still integrates experiential learning well! Living arrangements varied WILDLY during the program-- there were four total homestays and I don't know how many hostels and hotels. Even when the living conditions weren't what we take for granted in the U.S. (no AC, no hot water, shared rooms, no showers, etc), we were typically staying in the best living arrangements available in an area. The homestays were all wonderful and contributed to my integration into different areas, especially the homestay in Panama City. Integration was good throughout, though it definitely depended on the person. Some people made a big effort to integrate and practice their Spanish, which helped with integration, while others struggled more. I would definitely recommend studying Spanish before arriving (I did not), because most of my homestays were majority/all Spanish speakers.

I found SIT Panama to be exactly what I was looking for in a study abroad program. The excursions let us see a wide array of biomes across the country and introduced us to tons of wonderful people. SIT Panama is heavily experience-based in the teaching style, which worked great for me, and I'll never forget my time wading through streams looking for frogs at night or spending days snorkeling in the reefs of Guna Yala. The student culture in my cohort was always quite positive which made for a great community. Even as an introvert I felt that I was able to connect with my fellow students, host families, and other local Panamanians. The ISP (independent study project) at the end of the program is pretty intense but I found it to be some of the happiest weeks of my life. I loved getting to spend hours on end snorkeling, learning to ID marine invertebrates (the focus of my specific project), and completing my write-up while staying with a bunch of my SIT friends. Overall this program was excellent and if I could go back in time I would definitely choose to do it again.