The School for Field Studies

This program was awesome. As a zoology major, I was floored by the amazing wildlife around me. The food was amazing and the beds were comfortable. It was cool at night so we slept well and all of our health needs were taken care of immediately. Safety is the top priority for this program so sometimes rules felt a bit restrictive for experienced travellers but it was just to ensure no one got hurt. I made local friends but I did so on my own time, time I took advantage of when presented. We worked with the community's children, teaching them about environmental issues and we got a well-rounded understanding of the culture, history, language and environmental aspects of the Peruvian Amazon and Andes Mountains.

I chose this program because I am a Biology Major--a chance to do field studies abroad. My memorable experience was searching for the endangered cassowary bird.

Mt. Kilimanjaro served as the backdrop for many of our field drives in Amboseli National Park. The timing of our trips, an early beginning to the wet season as it were, obscured many carnivores from being found. For those who are unaware, an unfenced park such as Amboseli may serve as a dry-season refuge for the wildlife. When the rains return, the animals migrate out and into the community areas. We were lucky to be in the park on the day of one of the most famous of these migrations: the elephant migration. Cars idling, the air hot and humid, and our breaths shallow we watched hundreds of elephants cross just meters ahead of us. Behind us, Kilimanjaro stood proudly, not a cloud for kilometers to block its view. We were literally living the moment shown in postcards (be wary though, if you see a postcard in Tanzania with Kilimanjaro and elephants, it was actually taken in Amboseli National Park, Kenya), and if for one day the beauty of the largest of land herbivores reigned dominant over all others. I chose it for the location, the immerse home-stay aspect, the language (Swahili) classes, and the research opportunity.

My most memorable experience was when I was camping in the Serengeti for a week. We all hadn't showered in days (there was no shower at our campsite), we were exhausted from the long days and the nights filled with lions roaring in the distance. Although tired, I was always energized when I woke up each morning thinking, "Wow, I'm camping in the Serengeti!" It's amazing to think that a place you had only seen on Animal Planet would suddenly be your home for a week, and that the animals that you thought you would never see outside a zoo would suddenly be all around you. Zebras were as common as deer are in New England, USA. We would have to carefully watch our food or baboons and vervet monkeys would sneak over and steal it, even out of your hands! My whole semester was full of memorable experiences, but camping in the Serengeti was by far the most "wow" moment that I have had on any of my travels. I chose my program because it was in a non-traditional location and because it had a wildlife focus (I majored in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology). I also was interested in the field studies aspect of the program, as I have experienced how important it is, particularly in wildlife biology, to get hands-on experience out in the world, in the wild, in the field. Although I sometimes wish I could have studied abroad again and focused more on my French language skills, this experience was a milestone for me in discovering who I am in the world and who I'd like to be.

My most memorable experience is the 5 day camping expedition to Serengeti National Park. We spent a this time performing field research each day on all animals. We attended guest lectures with people that were working on special projects within the park as well. Also, playing soccer nearly everyday after classes with the local people with a view of the sunset of Ngorongoro Crater on one side of the field and a view of Moyo Hill on the other. I am a Biology major who was able to get 2 sciences courses in and completed my capstone (directed research) abroad. I also wanted to go abroad to a country where English was not the first language, I would be living simply, and I would be exposed to a new culture. We lived inside a field station in which each student lived in a room with 2 bunk beds for 2 students with a private bathroom for each. There was one classroom for all the classes located inside the camp.

I really enjoyed my time at this program. We spent most of our time in the field as most of our classes were done on safari or interviewing local people. We would take take the knowledge we learned in lectures and apply it to the field. This program was science intensive, but very doable for students coming from other majors. Professors were knowledgeable and passionate about the topics they were teaching. There was only one course on cultural immersion, since it was mostly science based. One course allowed for learning Swahili along with a one day home stay and visits to the different local tribes of the area. Each day was constant learning and new experiences that forced me to lived in the moment to try to take in all that this country had to offer.

Being in my dream situation - snorkeling in coral reefs, living by the water, environmentally friendly lifestyle, small town community

My favorite experience of this program was the week-long camping trip done in Serengeti National Park near the end of my stay in Tanzania. During this trip, students were given the opportunity to continue wildlife research, hear prominent wildlife management speakers that work on programs in Serengeti and observe all the wildlife that the African savanna has to offer. I picked this program because I was looking for a study abroad experience outside of the "norm". I knew that I wanted to pick an intensive program in a unique destination that I probably wouldn't have the chance to travel to until later years of my life. This program also combined my love for environmentalism and international conservation issues at the core of many of our studies. When living in Karatu, we had our own fenced community that was protected by guards. Each student shared a living space with 3 other people - this included showers and bathroom spaces. We had communal eating and studying areas, in addition to a computer lab and library. The camp also had full Wifi access. Our accommodations in Tanzania by far exceeded my expectations and were pretty nice for life in rural Tanzania.

I attended the SFS Summer Session II in Karatu, Tanzania and would recommend this program to anyone. If you are looking for a unique study abroad program that allows you to gain real world experiences with African wildlife, Tanzanian culture and live in the bush then this is the program for you. This program really focused on environmental and conservation issues that relate to wildlife management in Tanzania. You will have the opportunity to travel and study in many famous Tanzania national parks during your study abroad program. It is an opportunity of a lifetime!

The School for Field Studies is a field based program focused on hands-on academics. The Tropical Rainforest program puts you smack-dab in the middle of the rainforest, where you live, work, and play. It was the most incredible experience! I feel so connected to my little piece of the rainforest and I met the most amazing people. Everyone there loved the outdoors and appreciated all of the little things. Living in cabins just made me appreciate civilization all the more and daily walks to class allowed me to see aspects of life that most people never get a chance to experience. Class was interesting but not too demanding and we were always out in the field exploring!