Wisdom Study Abroad, an international study abroad program, is offering a six credit study abroad opportunity to India this winter break and Keene State College students are welcome to enroll in the program.
This 17-day intensive study abroad program gives students the opportunity to earn six academic credits without missing classes at KSC.
Betsy Thompson / Equinox Staff
From Dec. 27 to Jan. 12 about 20 students from colleges around the country will be traveling to India, the second most populous country in the world, with WSA and Castleton State College professor, Jim Hagan.
Stephany Davis, a KSC student graduating in December, traveled with Wisdom Study Abroad [WSA] to China and Tibet this past June.
She said her experience with WSA was, “Absolutely amazing, the best experience I’ve ever had and I’m saving up right now so I can go on another trip with them.”
Jim Hagan, the owner and program coordinator of WSA, said, “This is our twelfth year doing this trip to India, and we have taken about 2,000 students to India and other parts of Asia over the last sixteen years.”
This program entitled “India: Darjeeling & Sikkim: Art & Ritual in the Himalayas,” has highlights which include learning Buddhist meditation, volunteering services at a school and orphanage, hiking in the foothills of the Himalayas, studying art and philosophy at temples and monasteries and learning about the different religions.
Davis said although there was a lot to take in during her trip with WSA, it was never overwhelming because Hagan prepared them and also made sure they got a well-rounded experience.
On the WSA website it states, “We have established relationships with local people over three decades. [Students] have the rare opportunity to study with local scholars, Hindu Brahman priests, Buddhist monks and nuns who share their personal knowledge and first-hand experience.”
Hagan said the program costs $5,895, which includes everything from international and domestic flights, visas, entrance fees and three meals a day; the only thing it doesn’t include is personal spending money.
Hagan said the six credits are easy to transfer because credits obtained through Castleton are accepted by 150 colleges and universities.
Davis said she did not have any problems getting the credits to transfer back to KSC after her trip.
Davis said the program is cost effective for students that are interested in going.
“When I looked at the price I was nervous, but I got college credits, hotels, airfare, fed every meal and had the most amazing experience I can guarantee you will ever have. When you break it down it’s not that much and well worth every penny.”
The program does have structure but Hagan said, “A big part of the trip is that students get to go out on their own to experience towns and markets for themselves.”
Davis said the trip was a mixture of structure and leisure.
“Classes and lectures were structured, but [Hagan] weaved in a lot of leisure time and gave us suggestions on what to do,” Davis stated.
Davis said Hagan took the time to get to know everyone and made suggestions of what to do or see in their spare time based on what they would like after he got to know them.
“When you come back from India the rest of world seems boring,” Hagan said about his experiences, “They have the oldest civilization, interesting culture … Incredible environmental zones [from beaches to mountains] and a diversity of people.”
People interested in anthropology, history, yoga, psychology, Buddhism and the Himalayas, along with many other subjects that students may be interested in studying, will especially enjoy India, Hagan said.
“You also get people who have no idea what to expect and that’s why this program attracts a lot of different students,” Hagan said.
A KSC student, Amanda Diiulis, chose to study in India as part of a study abroad student at KSC and had her own reasons for studying there.
“I had never heard of anyone traveling to India. Students go to England and other European countries more, so this was a different opportunity that was new to me and I thought it would be a good experience,” Diiulis said.
While she was in India, Diiulis said she went to markets in Bangalore, the third largest city in India.
There, she got souvenirs and said everything is very affordable because one U.S. dollar is equivalent to about 60 Indian Rupee.
She said what originally appealed to her about studying in India was the type of people, the culture and the food.
“There are a lot of rumors about how men are disrespectful to women,” Diiulis noted, “but I never felt unsafe.”
Davis said that people looking into studying with WSA “need to be open to it being an adventure. Have an open heart, open mind, open arms and be accepting and take it all in. Don’t make judgments, just embrace every moment for what it is.”
All WSA programs are filled on a first come basis and have been filled the last 10 years.
Any interested student should contact professor Hagan if they would like to receive more info about our upcoming programs to India, Nepal, China, Tibet, Greece and Thailand/Cambodia.
“I would recommend [WSA] because I’ve traveled abroad before, but never had experience like the one I had this time,” Davis said.
“Anyone that has the opportunity to study with [WSA] would be foolish not to take it,” Davis concluded.
Taylor Thomas can be contacted at tthomas@keene-equinox.com.
