A Beautiful Experience: Una Experiencia Hermosa Past Review
By A student (Technology and Engineering Education, Brigham Young University) - abroad from 06/30/2012 to 08/04/2012 with
Brigham Young University: Ytabo - Engineering and Technology Teaching and Professional Development with Students and Teachers in the Dominican Republic Study Abroad
This is the most rewarding experience I've ever had. I learned so much about teaching, I made so many friendships, and absolutely fell in love with an entire people and country. I would absolutely do this again.
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. |
The best way to learn is by experimenting, and this is definitely true with teaching. Our budget allowed us to take all the resources with us that we needed, since the DR school's resources were very limited. It was a very independent learning experience but our mentors were still there all along the way to help when we asked for it. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Each of our teacher chaperones were fantastic. They gave us the ability to plan all our lessons and manage our own classrooms, but at the same time gave us good advice and feedback. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our hotel was incredible. Complimentary breakfast was wonderful to have. We had everything we needed, were so comfortable and staying in the city made seeing sights really easy. |
| * Food: |
Between complimentary breakfast, school-provided lunch and meals together as a program group, our food was delicious! I loved the school lunches because it was authentic local food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt absolutely accepted. Even when I struggled with the language, locals were so willing to help and try to understand me. Dominicans are the most loving and accepting people I have ever met. Having a local driver made a big difference as well, he told us a lot about the area and knew all the best local spots. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Thankfully we didn't have any health emergencies, but with all health issues our chaperones made sure to get lots of updates on anyone who was sick. |
| * Safety: |
There were a few potentially dangerous situations we found ourselves in, but locals always looked out for us. Always staying with at least one other person, especially a Spanish speaker, and having a male with you at nighttime was always a good idea and kept us safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
We shopped at local stores, and you could easily get by on a very frugal budget. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around $30-70 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Know how much you want to spend before you go, and stick to your budget. Buying food at local grocery stores was a cheap option. |
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 |
We weren't required to learn Spanish, which was nice, but the thing I enjoyed MOST of this experience was speaking the language. |
| 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? | IB Spanish SL |
| 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? | Taking a course through the university, busuu.com, watching videos in the language and volunteering somewhere you can practice, like the MTC. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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? | How much poverty is there. I wish I had brought more to give to them. I also wish that our learning objectives would have been a little more clear, what the school expected us to achieve. |
