Semester in Santiago: The Best Decision I Ever Made Past Review
By Lauren B (Latin American Studies., The University of Texas at Austin) for
IFSA: Santiago - Chilean Universities Program, Santiago
Studying abroad in Chile opened my eyes to so many things. It really helped me grow as a person and has definitely shaped my future career plans. After traveling around South America and taking a class about environmental policy, I have now decided that I want to go on to get my Masters in Public Health and work in environmental health or international health after I graduate.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile; Universidad Diego Portales |
| 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 |
The program director, Isabel Yevenes, was amazing! Isa was always available to answer any questions or help out with anything students needed. My expectations were exceeded by far! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
My host family was sure to provide me with anything I needed. If anything, I was definitely overfed. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program took us on several trips throughout the semester. We went to Valparaiso, a vineyard, La Serena, and excursions around the city of Santiago. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Santiago is relatively safe, especially for a large city. Pickpockets are common, but easily avoided. I also had strep throat when I was there and my director took time out of her day to take me to the doctor where I was prescribed the necessary antibiotics. You also do not need any vaccines for Chile. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I lived with a host family that only spoke Spanish and I took classes taught in Spanish at the local university. With that being said, my Spanish language skills improved tremendously. |
| 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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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