IFSA-Santiago Past Review
By Bonner C (Economics., Wellesley College) for
IFSA: Santiago - Chilean Universities Program, Santiago
Yes! I made friends who I will be close to for the rest of my life.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Pontificia Universidad Catolica |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes I took were much easier than those at my home university. That said half the students in the class failed. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The trips were well planned and very entertaining. However, IFSA really does not put the focus on academics. If you are looking for a program that emphasizes learning and culture I suggest you go with another program. But they are very good at holding your hand. Also We did not receive volunteering assignments until halfway through our time there. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
They bought pre-made food from the grocery store and heated it up. They were really nice people and went out of their way to buy me apples because they knew I like them. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The trips were very enjoyable! Unfortunately they were often organized to overlap with the University's field trips so I was often forced to choose one or the other. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Santiago. The only incident was when I was flashed by a middle-aged man on a big street at 11pm. There were other people around so I did not feel that threatened, just a little startled. |
| 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? | Public transportation was something that took up way more of my budget than I had planned for. I have never had to commute before and it gets pricey if you are on the metro 4 times a day. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I took a third year literature course |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We lived with a host family. The one thing that was very difficult for me was that a Chilean friend invited me to live with her and the program refused to let me. I felt I would have gotten a lot more language practice living with her compared to the family that was paid to take me in. Although the family was very nice, they were distant. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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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? | Chile is by far the most beautiful country I have ever been to. The people I met were fun and inviting! I could not recommend a better experience. Just maybe not with Butler. |
