Past Review
By Melissa A (Political Science, Rice University) for
CIEE: Santiago - Liberal Arts, Dominican Republic
It was amazing. I am a different person than when I left.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2008 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The DR has very different ideas about education than the US. Cheating and "Copy/Paste"ing is much more common. Overall the professors were interesting and informative especially the professor of the class "Dominican-Haitian Relations" (Las Relaciones Dominico-Haitianas) |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
strengths: There was a nice infrastructure set up. CIEE has been there for a long time and knows all the ins and outs. weaknesses: We did a "seminario" once a week, and it was a waste of time. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My room was not exactly what I was expecting. I had a bed that was over 20 years old (my host mom was very proud) and a TV. I had a misquito net but never used it. In my house lived my mom and host sister. We also had a housekeeper that was there almost everyday. We was very warm and friendly and sang all the time. She cooked and cleaned, and the food was pretty good (not a lot of vegetables). I could only use electricity sometimes and the shower water was rarely warm. I lived in La Zurza I in Residencia Cristal <br /><br /> |
| * Food: |
If you love empanadas you will love the DR. Lots of junk food and good fruits are available from vendors. I would not suggest trying to be a vegetarian. The quality of food is not very high, but definitely try Yogen Fruz. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Jumping on waterfalls was amazing. The beaches are incredible-- go to the beach as much as possible. Sosua and Cabarete are close to Santiago. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
It's not a very safe country. A few of my friends were robbed. Always take a taxi at night. Don't carry your laptop or your ipod. Healthcare is not so good either. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $20 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | take out a lot of money at an ATM you know is safe (like inside the mall or PCUMM--not on calle del sol) because some machines will steal your money/information. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I thought I was good at Spanish until I went to the Dominican Republic. They speak really fast and with crazy accents. You will get used to it though don't worry. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you are not very self confident, DR may not be for you. They call you the way they see you. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Dominican-Haitian Relations |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Awesome class! Really interesting. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | yes-- I got SOCI 300 for it. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Cine Latinoamericana |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Take the one with Dominicans! The movies are awesome, and the professor is very knowledgeable but doesn't talk much. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No, sadly it's only 2 credits. |
