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India: Student Comments
“Studying abroad in India allowed me the opportunity to experience Eastern traditions with Buddhist nuns and travel with them to the places the Buddha lived and taught. I learned yoga and meditation at Delhi University and studied the Bhagavad Gita with Hindu swamis. I have a better idea now of what it means to live. Studying in India changed my whole worldview. I am so thankful for the opportunity to study Indian philosophy and live in Delhi. Not to mention, the food is delicious!” —Lauren Bausch, UC Berkeley “The EAP program in India has been a great learning experience. All the transformations and experiences of this year are significant events in my life that will stay with me always.” —EAP Student “The best part of my experience here was living in a place that was so different from home. The EAP program allows students to really take part in India, culture, and life.” —EAP Student “A term is far too little time to know India, but it allows a taste-an appreciation for the multiplicity and diversity of cultures in existence today.” —EAP Student “Our accommodations are perched on a steep incline overlooking a Riviera of British-built homes and boarding schools surrounded by a dense forest similar to those in America's Pacific Northwest. I really have nothing but good things to say about this town. How can I complain when I get to drink chai three times a day and watch monkeys playing on trees and telephone wires? Unlike Delhi, here I feel totally comfortable walking around by myself. There are lots of shops, a couple libraries, a cinema, a place to get cold beer, and even a roller skating rink!” —EAP Student “Students choose to go abroad for many reasons. Traveling can be an unfulfilling experience if not guided by some structure and purpose. EAP in India was the perfect way to experience a radically different culture while maintaining a sense of purpose and commitment to learning.” —Matthew Booker, UC Berkeley “India's 'Unity in Diversity' is something that I was able to witness during my year abroad through the UC Davis Education Abroad Program in Hyderabad, a city that itself is a hub for many different cultures living together in a busy metropolis. Even being on campus opened up my eyes to things I didn't know about India before I left; for instance, there is a large population of students from the Northeastern states, a part of India I didn't know existed-though these seven states are pushing for their own independence. I was also able to see differences in campus life between those who come from villages and those who come from cities, as well as learn more about today's caste system and arranged marriages from fellow classmates and friends, many of whom asked if there was a caste or dowry system in the States. Studying in India provides students with the opportunity to learn more about a culture that is as old as civilization itself, through books as well as through real-life experiences. The EAP program in India allows students the capability to experience life in an amazing yet chaotic culture that is an ever-changing mix of old and new. ” —Sylvia Flores, UC Davis “I went to India hoping both to satisfy my craving for adventure and to experience confirmation of that which I had been learning as an anthropology student. I was not disappointed. Learning another language, being immersed in another culture, traveling, and meeting others was an extraordinary experience that gave real depth to the abstract theoretical knowledge I had acquired in the classroom. In the process, I learned new things about myself and gained a new appreciation for my own American culture. My year in India has given me a tremendous foundation of unique experiences that provides me with encouragement and confidence as I formulate my plans for the future.” —Ian Hayden, UC San Diego “Having the exposure to India at that age was wonderful. I have kept in contact with the South Asian region-through my career in international public health, through friends, and through frequent travel back.” —Helen Matzger, UC Berkeley “I went to India without any sort of expectation. What made my experience unforgettable was not so much the spirituality or the arts as it was the ordinary life that I observed and became a part of in India. After seeing how simple and pure living can be, I at times feel lost in the complicated way of life here in America. I long for a cup of chai on the streets, the sound of bells on the cycle-rickshaws, and I miss the cows. Living and traveling in India were not the easiest and most pleasant experiences I've had, but every time I think of India, I find myself smiling, contently.” —Lily Wang, UC Berkeley
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