A Semester in Santiago Past Review
By A student (Spanish Language and Literature., Trinity University) - abroad from 07/24/2013 to 12/06/2013 with
IES Abroad: Santiago - Study in Santiago
I learned a lot more Spanish than I previously knew. It was more difficult to make friends with local students than I thought it would be, and I didn't get to do as much traveling as I would have liked, but it was still worth it.
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. |
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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? |
The local healthcare system was easy to use. IES was helpful in telling us which clinics were available to foreign citizens. I paid a fee equivalent to $40 US and received several prescriptions for a flu-like virus that I had. |
| * Safety: |
The metro had to be stopped two separate times while I was there because someone had gotten run over on the tracks. There are also protests/marches rather often, but they are usually close to the center of the city. |
| 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? | Save money for traveling rather than random souvenirs, though a few of those can be nice too. |
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? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPAN 3312 (Latin American Civilization) |
| 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? | Watch movies/listen to the radio/read all the ads you see on the street that are in the foreign language. Also try to converse a lot with locals. |
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? | Winter lasted longer than I thought I would. I also didn't realize how important traveling would be in order to get to know the country better. |
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! |
