Life changing Past Review
By Mike K (Environmental Science, SUNY - Albany) - abroad from 12/27/2012 to 01/10/2013 with
Global Student Embassy: Service Program in Ecuador
Being a part of a global community encouraged me to continue in the field I'm studying, learn new languages, and become a well rounded student as well.
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. |
Integrating a fun time with learning is the best way to engage students and ensure that they will take something away from the experience. This is exactly what Global Student Embassy provided. |
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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? |
The living arrangements were above and beyond what I expected. Perfect balance between comfortable living and giving us an idea of what it is like to live in the area. |
| * Food: |
I loved every single thing that Rosa cooked for us as well as the restaurant food. Coming back to the food I eat at home is somewhat depressing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very involved in the local culture since we were preparing a garden for the neighborhood we were living in and had such positive interactions with the local people. Learning some Spanish before going on the trip would've made it a lot more enjoyable. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No health issues during the trip. Typhoid, Flu, and Hepatitis B were vaccines we needed to get to travel to Ecuador. |
| * Safety: |
No safety related incidents. Future advice would be to ALWAYS travel in groups at night. Do not wander off alone (especially onto the beach). |
| 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) |
Other than purchasing souvenirs, I did not need to spend much money at all. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 30 |
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 |
The group leaders would constantly encourage us to interact with the locals and praise us when we did. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French level 4 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | 0 |
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? | I would have had a much better time if I had put in the effort to learn some Spanish. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
