Soy chilena, po Past Review
By Shannon C (Spanish/Marketing, Trinity University) - abroad from 02/17/2015 to 07/12/2015 with
IFSA: Santiago - Chilean Universities Program, Santiago
I learned so much...probably the best semester of my life. Studying in Chile helped so much with my Spanish, opened my mind to learning other cultures, and humbled me big time. It taught me to be confident in myself and my ability figure things out (despite getting lost over and over again). The chileans I met & their culture broadened my perspective of the world.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I chose to study at La Católica...the classes were not nearly as tough as I am used to back home. Not much class-content, bigger class sizes and hardly any class discussion...but the courses I took were good for teaching me more spanish! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were always willing to help...and I could always stop by the office for questions, etc. My house was pretty far from the office though so I hardly went. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Loved my host family! I think that living with a family is a great way to learn more about Chilean culture. They welcomed me in and invited me to family outings! |
| * Food: |
I'm not a picky eater, but Chilean food got old really fast...lots of white bread/meat/potatoes. I missed fruits/vegetables big time because my family hardly bought them. It was hard to eat healthy there...I didn't want to waste money and buy my own food, so I had to eat whatever my family decided to buy. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I found a university ministry near my house and got to make a lot of Chilean friends and be truly integrated in their culture! It was a great experience! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A |
| * Safety: |
Santiago felt super safe! I lived in a residential part of town and felt safer walking at night than I do in the US. Never had any issues with safety. |
| 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) |
You can definitely live on a student's budget in Santiago. But transportation really adds up. Every time you take the metro (which is usually multiple times a day) you pay ~$1. I would spend around $20 a week on transportation. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about $40 in a normal week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I tried to be as frugal as possible in Santiago and then splurge on weekend travels! To travel, take an overnight bus so you can sleep on it and not have to pay for a hostel. |
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 |
We were encouraged to speak it 24/7 |
| 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 |
| 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? | Meet/befriend locals...not just the people in your study abroad program. |
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? | I wish I hadn't packed so much! |
