Chile: a gem of South America Past Review
By Michaela Drucker (Trinity College) - abroad from 07/22/2018 to 11/09/2018 with
IES Abroad: Santiago - Politics, Social Justice & Language
I learned how to live in a different place and how to make that place feel like my home. Being abroad taught me so many communication skills, as Spanish is my second language, I had to navigate situations that I haven't found myself in before. I also learned a lot about myself--my independence, confidence, and inter-personal skills. Studying abroad is so worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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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: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
IES helped me so much adjust to being abroad. They helped us with so much, from visa verification to understanding Chilean Spanish. The staff really cared about us and tried to help us as much as possible. |
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) |
As part of living with a host family, I had 2 of 3 meals provided every day. |
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 |
Chile, as a country, does not have a lot of English. All of our classes were taught in Spanish and our host families also only spoke Spanish. |
| 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 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | It is hard to speak in Spanish with your friends because English is more natural, but try to speak in Spanish because that will only help you improve. |
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? |
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 wish I had spoken Spanish with my friends from the program. We got into the habit of speaking in English to one another because it is easy and natural; however, I believe that if we had spoken in Spanish our language skills would be even better than they are. |
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. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Human Rights in Latin America |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Pablo Fierro |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | I highly recommend this class! Pablo is absolutely amazing--he is so kind and loving yet so knowledgable. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
