GO TO VALPARAISO. JUST GO. TRUST ME. Past Review
By Julia L (Spanish Language, Literature, Clark University - Worcester) - abroad from 07/17/2015 to 12/15/2015 with
CIEE: Valparaiso - Liberal Arts
My experience abroad was definitely worthwhile. I gained new perspectives and improved my language skills.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The PIIE courses at PUCV, those designed specifically for international students, were interesting and moderately challenging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
If you have eating restrictions, it can be somewhat difficult. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
If you choose to take only those courses in the university which are designed specifically for study-abroad students, you will not be taking any classes with actual Spanish speakers, and therefore will have some difficulty making friends with native Spanish-speakers. Just try to be as friendly as possible and get out there and explore! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
We experienced a rather strong earthquake, but the program directors went over earthquake protocol in our orientation, because Chile is prone to them, so we were all safe and well-prepared. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Just the city itself is enough reason to go. I loved it there. |
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) |
Public transportation is incredibly cheap, but I had to buy a good amount of food because I'm a vegan and my host family didn't really know how to accommodate my needs. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 70.000 CLP |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be honest with your host family about your food needs! |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | an advanced grammar course, Spanish 237 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Practicing with your host family is great! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | That there is a nation-wide strike on education happening in Chile! We international students were not granted permission to take certain courses because of the strike! Look into it online before you go! |
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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
CIEE: Historia, Cine y Literatura de Valparaiso |
| Course Department: | CIEE |
| Instructor: | Alejandro Banda |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This course was spectacular. It was decently challenging, but I appreciated that. The professor really brought out everyone's full potential. He works hard to apply the class' specific interests to the course material, and he also tries to get to know each of his students on a personal level. We went on various trips throughout the semester which were fun and informative. We had a broad range of assignments, including papers, presentations, quizzes, creative writing pieces, and also an audiovisual project. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
