An incredible and unique experience with many lessons learned Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I found my educational experience interesting and informative, but not rigorous. That, however, was probably partially my fault, for not focussing enough on learning Spanish. I felt very challenged with the language, but not challenged at all intellectually. That was a rough reality for me, because it did not encourage me to take full advantage of the classes because I could get away with doing very little. If I had worked on my language skills more, I think I could have gotten a lot more out of the classes, but even with that, I don't believe they were to the academic caliber that I am used to.

On-site administration of your program

I always felt very supported from the staff. They were lovely and encouraging. There were a few instances where I feel things could have been handled better, but I, personally, always felt secure.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my living arrangements. I lived with very special people and always felt taken care of enough. It is a shift to be thrown back into a family, where people need to know where you are all the time, after three years out of my parents' house in the states, but it is well worth it. I would have liked to learn more Spanish from my family (they weren't super talkative to me), but that goes both ways.

Living with mi mama in the DR ruined me for rice when I returned to the states. She cooks SO WELL and with SO MUCH flavor, that food just doesn't have that same charm back home! I will admit, after three months I was ready to come home to add a little variety to my diet (carbs, carbs, carbs), but I can't argue that the food was incredible.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Of course there can't be full integration after 4 months, but I felt very good about my time in the DR in this respect. This aspect of my experience was very important to me- and I can happily say that throughout my time in there, I felt comfortable traveling by myself, talking to locals wherever I went, and getting an idea of what Dominican culture is about. My absolute favorite experiences were when I explored by myself. I met the most wonderful and generous people who I will hold in my heart for the rest of my life.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't really experience health issues. I felt a little sick here and there (stomach things), and my mom took care of me. I was able to stay home on those days and teachers were very understanding. I was well aware of where the health center was, and felt like I wouldn't have a problem going there if I felt the need.

This is a complicated question. There were a few incidents while I was abroad. They never included me, however, and I always felt safe. But it's important to realize that Santiago is a big city, and in all big cities (in the US too), there is crime. Especially when the wealth gap increases, there are going to be more people looking to take things from those who have more. I think the take-away was that if you are smart about where you go and when you go there, you'll be fine. However, things may still happen if you're doing all the right things. Thankfully, though, the times where things went wrong, it was only possessions that were taken, nobody was hurt. With that said- if you are someone who get nervous in a place like NYC- this may not be a place to spend four months. OR maybe it would be a good opportunity to get over those fears?! Just know, crime is a reality here, but it doesn't mean you need to be scared all the time.

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

Things are a lot cheeper here than in the states (I'm from the east coast). However, somehow (so much to do) they add up. I was gone most weekends, not on lavish adventures, but each trip costs money. I also bought a lot of gifts for people. There are a lot of cool things- so it's easy to get carried away buying gifts. If you're frugal, you can spend verrrry little here. However, if you take advantage of lots of the going on- it adds up. Still cheaper than a European country- though!

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

I was very encouraged to learn Spanish. In home, in the classroom, on our excursions, etc.

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• Host Family
• Apartment

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans

• The never-ending amount of adventures to go on
• The warm, yet complicated community I encountered
• The chance to learn about a different culture

• initial communication with host families
• update the section that talks about dress code- it's a bit different these days

The Avid Adventurer