Complete Caribbean Immersion Past Review
By emily.neubig.1 (Clark University - Worcester) - abroad from 01/02/2013 to 04/30/2013 with
CIEE: Santiago - Service Learning, Dominican Republic
Completely! I learned how to live with a family that was not my own without hot water and I learned how to teach children how to read in Spanish. Not to mention I learned how to speak the language!
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. |
Very academically intensive |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administration was inconsistent |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Wonderful host family placement! |
| * Food: |
A lot of fried food and not many vegetarian options |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Unavoidable exposure and integration into the local culture |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Options for health care but must be able to communicate in Spanish |
| * Safety: |
A few instances when I felt unsafe |
| 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) |
Spent less than $1000! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $5-$10 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Everything is very cheap in this country, even the travel. Its a great way to get a lot of experience and have a lot of fun on a low budget! |
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 |
Spanish all the time |
| 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? | Span196 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
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? |
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? | Its all going to be ok! You will be so proud of yourself when you complete this program since there are many moments when it doesnt seem possible. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
