Past Review
By jake wey (Communication and Media Studies., City College of San Francisco) for
City College of San Francisco: Oaxaca- Summer in Oaxaca
I gained a lot, friends, family, future travel ideas (back to Oaxaca) and a lot of self confidence. My only gripe is that the summer is so short. I think that this experience was a great way to get my feet wet into the world of study/travel abroad and the next time I will be better prepared, plus ready to stay longer! I really think this program is awesome and I hope that you will consider it. The group of students were phenomenal, and it made our experience enjoyable, plus, the school we studied at rocked!
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Summer 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I loved the class, the work load was not overwhelming, but it was worthwhile being in class because we learned something new every day, especially about Mexican and Oaxacan culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I don't really know if they used what I wrote to connect me with my homestay family, but I was really lucky and got a nice home. I was surprised how they had live in servents though, not what I expected in Mexico. I suppose it is valuable to see the class disparities, and my family was definitely on the wealthier scale(but nice people and I had a great time). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Overall, Comida oaxaquena es deliciosa! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
At the institute where we studied there were great cultural classes, but I also looked out in my community where I stayed to find people to talk with and to learn. There was a cool little place around the corner where I could stop in and just conversate and drink tea, muy amable la gente en Oaxaca! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
About food in particular, that was the only real fear I had. No fear of robbery or violence. And man, just eat the food, don't worry about the germs. The only people who got sick were the ones who tried to eat everything from restaurants and be too careful. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get a lot from the ATMs so you don't have to pay a lot in service charge, you can always exchange it in the airport on your way home. I would advise people not to be afraid of vendors, especially the pushy ones. If you don't want to buy something, you don't have to! Also, if you think something is a bad deal, don't feel obligated to buy it from someone, if you walk away they will most likely reduce their price(obviously if you think it is too much, still don't buy it). Also, read the bills in restaurants because if you go with a group, it can be unclear how they got the total, which always seemed to be too much. Be clear if the tip is included and always ask if you think something is wrong. About street people, I have to give sometimes, it just hurts so much to see them, but my advice is, if you can give, give, but if you can't, don't. |
Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I definitely improved by a lot. From the moment I got into the car riding with my host family, I thought, here we go...and I just started speaking spanish... The most important thing is to not be afraid to talk |
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Rock and Roll!!! Have a good time and don't forget to see about alternative Guelaguetzas in pueblos(I only went to the big one, which was awesome, but there are cool ones in smaller more intimate settings, cheaper, and real booze, so I hear) |
