I have no regrets from this entire semester! Past Review
By Mollie K (Central College) - abroad from 01/23/2012 to 05/04/2012 with
Central College Abroad: Merida - Studies in Global Health in the Yucatan
I am able to communicate with a spanish speaking population. And that I am able to live on my own. I have the confidence to go out and make the most of life. It was definitely worthwhile and I highly recommend that everyone take the opportunity to study abroad!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
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 |
I really enjoyed the excursions that we were able to take with the program. I wish that our resident director would have liked our group more. I felt at times that she had favorites, and didn't hide the fact that she had ones that she.... reallly didn't like. And a few people were never placed in internships that were promised to them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I LOVED My host-family!! They were absolutely wonderful! The only reason I didn't give a 5-star rating was because my room was extremely hot. I wish that I would have had the nerve to ask for a another fan for the window. |
| * Food: |
... I do not have the capability to describe how incredibly delicious everything was!! Everything tasted so fresh and was full of vibrant flavors. (Only one thing I didn't like was the traditional dish of pan de cazon, but that is a personal preference) Be sure to eat the fruit!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The only way that I wasn't integrated into the culture was when I was in class. I took my classes at the Central program house, so I never took a class with any students from Mexico. But, I was able to take a history class in a spanish-speaking setting. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Amazing! We had at least half of our program have a medical issue, and this is where our resident director was wonderful. She would take anyone to the free doctor and be sure the person received the correct medicine. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe walking at 2 am by myself on the busy streets. I did stay away from side streets. |
| 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) |
meals are provided with the program, except on the weekends. Food was super cheap and delicious in Mexico! |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | average around $50, depending on how much we went to clubs |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Budget, budget, budget! And keep track of how much you spend!! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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? | Go for it! You only live once, so you should make the most of every opportunity that presents its self to you. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Liberation Theology |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Chad Pierce |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | I enjoyed the material, but the grading was in my opinion a bit "un-fair." I know that being in a foreign country should not mean that grading should be much easier, but I also believe that the class should not have been taking tests, nor have been graded on a graduate level class. I did learn much more because the material that we learned in class was relevant to the field trips that we took. The Maya ruins that we visited held much more significance to me, because I had a background knowledge of Mayan faith practices. I definitely participated more in this class because it was such a small environment, and felt that I was more interested in this material. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
