Great place to visit/learn Spanish, but not to live. Past Review
By Stacy Martin (University of New Mexico) - abroad from 02/22/2016 to 05/31/2016 with
Academia Latinoamericana de Espanol: Quito - Academia Latinoamericana Center
I learned alot about different cultures and how to adapt to a different way of life. I learned to live without luxuries I am used to and to be patient with those changes. It's definitely worthwhile to go see other countries and learn about their cultures
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
This was my second time returning to the same program and I regret not going elsewhere. The first time I went I took mostly grammar classes and I improved significantly. This time I took all special classes and was disappointed with the quality of the classes- I wasn't challenged enough. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
3- it's possible to live cheap if you are careful and aware of your spending. Seek out the local markets and shops instead of the more expensive ones. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30-40 a week on food, $20 every 2 weeks on laundry |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't shop at the main grocery store- buy food at the local markets or little hole-in-the-wall places all around. Take the bus instead of taxis and eat at cheap restaurants/cook at home. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | unknown |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | practice reading in Spanish and speaking as much as you can. The grammar classes at Academia are very good and will help you improve quickly. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had taken more money. It negatively impacted my experience to be stressed out about money all the time. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
