No Expectations Past Review
By Carmela Belizaire (Brandeis University) - abroad from 06/16/2018 to 07/21/2018 with
IFSA: Mérida - Language and Cultural Studies in the Yucatán
Acceptance, Perspectives, and additional family. Worth it.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Great! The professors were amazing and the courses were very engaging. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They are amazing, I'd call them family. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I do not speak Spanish so it was very hard for me to communicate with my family. I wish the program notified me that I needed to know more Spanish than the basics. |
* Food: |
AMAZING ! |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone that we met were willing to share their stories and knowledge. |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally did not face any medical issues. I only had upset stomachs because i was not used to the food. |
* Safety: |
I always felt safe, even walking at night. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would pick the same program because I met amazing people that gave me amazing life advice and allowed me to be myself. But I hope for program mates that are understanding. |
Finances
* 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) |
Great! |
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $40 US dollors |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't let the people in the program pressure you to pay the tip. Put in the amount you can. |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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? | 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? | none. |
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? | Learn conversational Spanish and Beginning levels. Once you get there, people will assume you speak the language. |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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 knew more Spanish so that I could communicate more with my host family and others. |
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! |
Individual Course Reviews
Course Name/Rating: |
Introduction to Medical |
Course Department: | |
Instructor: | Sandra Alfaro |
Instruction Language: | Spanish |
Comments: | The course is a little fast paced. Every week there's a quiz so be prepared. Other than that, the professor was very helpful and clear about the guidelines and the goal of the course. |
Credit Transfer Issues: | No complication. Just do the course registration form ahead of time and make sure you fill it out correctly. |
Course Name/Rating: |
Contemporary Issues in Public Health in the Yucatan |
Course Department: | |
Instructor: | Dr. Adrián Esparza |
Instruction Language: | Engish |
Comments: | This course was very useful in understanding public health and how a government provides healthcare policies. |
Credit Transfer Issues: | No complication. Just do the course registration form early and make sure it's filled corrected. |