Half of my heart is in Havana (na na na) Past Review
By Anna (University of Maine - Orono) - abroad from 08/30/2017 to 12/22/2018 with
API (Academic Programs International): Havana - Universidad de la Habana
My time abroad was absolutely worth while. I got to practice my Spanish, meet new people, make lots of friends, and get to know a new and amazing country.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Studying at the University of Havana is an amazing experience and a great way to practice Spanish, however the classes are not very rigorous. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Helene and Emily are the most amazing RD's. I feel so lucky to have had them and gotten to know them over my 4 months there. They made me feel so at home and were amazing at planning cool cultural activities. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing is in amazing place in Havana. Everyone who works in the house is amazing, and I felt extremely comfortable and lucky to be living where I was. |
| * Food: |
Cuban food is awesome, plus the food in the house is amazing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was really lucky to make Cuban friends that really helped me integrate into the local culture. On top of that API planned a lot of activities to help us learn more about the local culture, and learn more about Cuba. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The hospital can be a little bit confusing but both Helene and Emily were there for me, and talked me through all of my options both when I was sick and when I got hurt. |
| * Safety: |
Havana is extremely safe, and I almost never felt endangered. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
API was absolutely amazing before, during and after the program. They made my experience the best it could possibly be, and I would go back to Cuba with them in a heartbeat. |
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) |
Living in Cuba is extremely reasonable and it's easy to get your moneys worth while studying abroad there |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $70 |
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 |
I was really encouraged to use Spanish for the majority of the time I was there. The only significant amount of time I went without using Spanish was when I was with other English speaking American students. |
| 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? | 300 |
| 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? | The best thing is to just force yourself to use the language as much as possible, and try to make Cuban friends who will speak with you. |
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? |
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 done a little more cultural and historical research before I left. I learned tons but I think having more of a basis going into Cuba would have helped me |
