The second of many adventures abroad Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I feel that for the price we paid as students abroad, the university could have provided more materials for us in our classes in regards to the reading material and the projects. For instance, I only received one textbook for one class out of four total that I was taking (we were provided with some reading material online through scannings, but it would have been more helpful to have hard copies with concise info), and sometimes the projects required specific material that was either difficult to find or expensive to purchase. My classes were relatively difficult, which I appreciated, but at least one was not nearly as informative or organized as I would have liked (especially considering my interest in the subject).

On-site administration of your program

I found the administrators of my program to be very organized and professional yet approachable and helpful if I had any questions or needed guidance on a particular matter. I frequently spent time at the office of my program's administration to study or practice my Spanish-speaking skills.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was very satisfied! I lived with a host family and had no roommates, and this living situation was ideal for me because I was "forced" to practice the native language daily and also was less distracted when it came time to study in the evenings. My host family prepared delicious meals that accommodated my needs as a vegan, and the house was always kept clean.

I was able to find fresh, healthy food in most places I visited.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I made it a priority to get to know the locals, so I spent time practicing my Spanish-speaking skills with multiple native speakers. Thankfully, I formed friendships along the way. I also spent some time learning Salsa Dance and attended some ballets at the National Theater.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not need to utilize modern health care while I was there, so I do not have an opinion on it. I did, though, have access to herbal medicine while I was there which I took for a cough, and it seemed to relieve it a little.

Unfortunately, the city I stayed in was not very safe, and students were advised to NEVER walk home alone. There were multiple incidences, occurring both during daytime and nighttime, where students were robbed or host families were held to gun-point. This is not to say it happened all the time, but it did happen. Fortunately, I did not encounter any of these situations.

Perhaps. They offered classes that interested me and met my home institution's academic requirements, but as I mentioned earlier not all of the classes met my expectations. Looking in hindsight, though, I could perhaps choose different, more challenging classes with locals in the native language if given a second chance. A couple reasons I would be drawn to study with this program again is because of the kind and helpful administration and the excursion opportunities through my program and the university itself.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Once I became accustomed to the local food markets and stores and narrowed down which activities I wanted to participate in most, I was able to budget fairly well without struggling.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Both the administration of my program and the university itself used Spanish as the primary language.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Excursions to natural phenomena
• Administration
• Diversity of class offerings

• Textbooks for classes
• Difficulty of classes/more-experienced instructors
• Greater access to resources for class