Worth Every Minute Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I enjoyed receiving an education experience that was outside of that which I have been used to in the US. I had a wonderful experience with all but one of my professors. The coursework content was fascinating. I loved being able to flex my brain muscles while learning in Spanish as well. You will certainly face an adjustment period when it comes to how Dominicans conceptualize time, grades, learning, etc.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I got along fine with my host family. I didn't have any major issues with them. I liked how close my home was to campus.

Food in DR was delicious! Dishes could get a bit repetitive as you will eat Dominican staple food items OFTEN (rice, beans, plantains, etc). As a picky eater, I got to expand my palette. As a vegetarian/vegan, I still managed to survive, but did find some difficulty in getting in adequate nutrition at times. Also, keep in mind that the Dominican diet consists of high carb intake.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I personally did not experience much difficulty integrating with the local culture. However, I did firsthand witness the peers in my program experience difficulty on the basis of their gender sexual orientation and skin color. As a light-skinned black woman, I faced the at times uncomfortable reality of being a woman in the "machista" Dominican culture; yet, as a ethnically-mixed/ambiguous person, faced little to no trouble for my color/racial identity. I would advise prospective students to be conscious should they belong to any typically marginalized groups. Although, it might be particularly difficult to deal with implicit and explicit biases abroad, I'd encourage you to understand that some of the same racism, sexism, homophobia, etc that exists at home in the U.S. exist many other parts of the world, although in distinct. However, I would not let this dissuade you from experiencing all that is beautiful about DR.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Healthcare was easily accessible as it was on campus. Program staff were great in helping us navigate receiving healthcare. I did not experience sickness, outside of a brief cold. However, many of the illness that students experienced were typically related to contaminated food, so really listen to the program staff when they advise you! And, also don't fret because most, if not all of the illnesses that people experienced were highly preventable and/or treatable. Something I feel that the program might improve upon is the resources they have for mental health needs. I did not see resources dedicated to this very critical aspect of health.

I felt very safe. No safety issues, but Tips.... -Don't be flashy (keep your expensive smart phones, cameras, etc put away) -Maintain a buddy system, if possible; keep in mind, I often walked alone from place to place and felt fine, but just for additional comfort bring a friend -Be aware of your surroundings in general and particularly as a pedestrian (driving out there is "muy loco"!)

This program was the right choice for me!

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

As compared to prices in the U.S., those in DR are incredibly reasonable. Study abroad does not have to be expensive! I am glad I went to DR (a less typical location), rather than Europe/other parts of Latin America not only for the unique experience, but also for the cost savings.

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

The program was made up of students at various levels of the Spanish language. As a result, there was often a conflict between communicating with students for understanding (in English) or for language acquisition (in Spanish). Often times the communication by staff to students was in English, which was disappointing because it was the "easy way out" for those who had the potential to grow from Spanish dialogue. This dynamic made it difficult for people of various Spanish levels. The language pledge was not really seriously followed and not heavily encouraged by staff, which enabled students to fall back into their default comfort zone of speaking English.

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Host Family

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• Americans

• Diverse program excursions
• Phenomenal educational experience
• Liveliness/character of the country

• Adherence to language pledge
• Mental health resources

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