The Time I Stepped Into a National Geographic Magazine Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I very much enjoyed my classes in Quito at USFQ. My class at GAIAS in Santa Cruz was very interesting, but my professor assigned us the work of a full semester course in two weeks. This meant we were to complete about one thousand pages of reading, take two tests, and write a 10 page research paper in two weeks. This very high workload interfered with my ability to explore the island. I only know one person in my group that actually completed most of the reading, and he spent about five hours inside after class every day reading from the course packet.

On-site administration of your program

The program administrators were very helpful. Whenever I needed help with something, I could call the office and someone would always be able to help me. When my wallet was stolen, a program administrator, Gladys, took me to the police station and helped me fill out a report. However, the administrators were not able to help me come up with a plan to get money from my parents once my wallet was stolen. After about a week of borrowing money from other members of the group, I finally thought of Western Union, which worked perfectly.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I felt incredibly welcome with my host family. I was in a great location; it was very easy for me to get to school every day. My host family supplied me with sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, my own room with a desk, and anything else I discovered I needed once I got there, including long socks and a small backpack. My neighborhood seemed relatively safe. I felt like a member of the family.

The food was great. I'm not a vegetarian, but my friends who were were normally able to get vegetarian meals. I personally enjoyed eating at small cafes and street venders more than fancy restaurants.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The hiking field trips we took while in mainland Ecuador were amazing! My favorite was a day hike at Papallacta. Papallacta is the most gorgeous natural landscape I have ever seen. Also the trips to Cotopaxi, Otavalo, and the Cloud Forest were breathtaking. These trips allowed me to experience the awe inspiring natural beauty of Ecuador. In the Galapagos, I very much enjoyed the snorkeling trips.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Quito, just like any big city, can be dangerous at night. My wallet was pick pocketed. I felt just as safe in Quito at night as I would in New York City. In the Galapagos Islands, however, I could walk around by myself at any time of the night without worrying at all.

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

I had some incredibly rewarding Spanish-speaking experiences during my trip, but most of them occurred when I was away from my group (asking people for directions, talking to cab drivers, making conversation with people at the university, talking to my host family). Everyone in my group was from The United States, and we always spoke English when the group was together. Since our program required that our group be together most of the time, I didn't speak Spanish as much as I would have liked. If we had had more time to explore on our own (more time during the day, that is) I think my Spanish would have improved more than it did.

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• Americans