A great experience at IMAP with IPSL March 27, 2024
By Hannah J (Food Systems, Westminster University) - abroad from 01/23/2024 to 02/17/2024 with
IPSL: Guatemala - Ecology, Culture and Justice
I loved being immersed in Spanish language and learning about a culture that was new to me.
Personal Information
| 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. |
The program immersed me in Spanish language, Mayan culture, and a lot of experiential learning in permaculture at the Instituto Mesoamericano de Permacultura. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Denis was wonderful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my homestay experience, as well as my stay at IMAP. |
| * Food: |
Fresh tortillas and beans and avocados galore! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone was very welcoming and inclusive, and only because I lacked Spanish speaking skills was it less than 5 stars. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A |
| * Safety: |
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| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | less than $150 |
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? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 102 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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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| 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 would have like to know a bit more about my daily schedule before I got there. |
