Merida: Living Out "Viva Mexico!" Past Review
By Carol B (Spanish/Sociology, Berea College) for
KIIS: Merida - Experience Merida Semester Program
I learned much more than I expected. I loved the area and the people so much I am going back for a completely different reason this summer. I loved my experience but I know that its not the only experience I want to have. For me, this was the preparation experience. Now I'm going back to have my own adventure :)
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The only thing that I didn't really like was the fact that students from multiple levels were put together in one class making it difficult for the advanced and the beginners to both be satisfied. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I think all of the administration involved in the KIIS program did a wonderful job. If I ever needed anything I knew that I could easily call upon any one of them for help or extra information. We did much more than I imagined I would do and I felt that I really got to know the area. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I felt very safe in the neighborhood. Most everything we needed was there waiting for us including linens and towels. We were about 20 minutes away from the school which isn't far but is a good distance to walk in the heat--gives you a good understanding of what people deal with. |
| * Food: |
Our host mom wasn't the best cook and had her sister cook oftentimes--she's a good cook! Try local food but don't forget to pay attention to the changes between your diet at home and there. Ex. eating a lot of dairy to eating a small amount. Try new things but make sure you know what you can handle and your nutritional requirements. I found that my body was picky--yours may not be. Eat where locals tell you the food is good--chances are it is. Also, finding a place that you like and frequenting it is a good way to make friends with them and also get information about the city/food/etc. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Go on all of the excursions but also go to the cultural events that the program directors and locals tell you about. There was a Day of the Dead altar setup with a parade that was not in the program but right in town. It was fantastic and something that is meant to be on display but also something very personal to the culture and gives you a firsthand look without putting on a show for the tourist. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I did not have an experience with healthcare but another person in our group did. She was well taken care of. The best piece of advice is to not rush into things and to use common sense from home. Things may be prepared in a different way but if they are handled or served in a way that you would never eat back home, be cautious. Also, do be careful about mosquitos. Not only do you want to avoid Dengue fever but mosquito bites are just plain annoying and its not super cute to go out with little red dots all over! :) |
| 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? | If you plan to travel, plan to spend the money to travel. Decide how much money you are willing to spend throughout the entire experience and then pay attention to what it actually costs you to "live" there....because you do end up living there more than you might at first realize. Also--if they tell you to bring textbooks with you, do it. Buying/copying them there will just become a hassel and can get expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 310 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
The best ways to improve is to make friends with locals and spend time with them. The host family can be a good source as long as you set aside time to talk rather than just daily dealings. It is possible to not speak in the target language throughout of the day especially with a big group of American students all around you--another reason its good to make friends and try to be the minority in groups. |
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? | Think about the type of experience you want. If you want to get thrown out of your comfort zone, its best to go somewhere with people you don't know or on your own. If you want a safety net to break through things bit by bit, this is a great program. |
