My Unforgettable Month in Mexico Past Review
By A student (Headwaters School) - abroad from 08/02/2016 to 08/30/2016 with
Mexico Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I learned a lot of Spanish, and I also became more confident with my ability to have a conversation with someone who only speaks Spanish. It was definitely worthwhile.
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. |
I had a grammar class and a conversational class each day. Each class was 2 hours long. I really enjoyed the classes and thought that they were put together very well. The homework load was not too much but not too little. It was an activity or two everyday consisting of writing a letter, a worksheet, a reading, etc. All the teachers were very nice and Spanish being their first language made it an interesting class. They didn't know very much english, and because of this It forced me to go outside of my comfort zone and really try to use all of my knowledge of Spanish. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The host family was very nice and welcoming to my roommate and I. They were around a lot and always liked to talk about anything. Anytime I said something wrong they would help me. I really enjoyed the living arrangements. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We did a lot of cultural activities throughout the trip. We went to museums, tours of the city, parades, markets and lots of cool things. I felt that the people of Oaxaca were very open to travelers and people different than them. There didn't seem to be a large boundary between the locals and I. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I really enjoyed the program, but I feel like the world is too big to go back to the same place. I would want to do a program similar to this, but in a different location. |
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) |
My host family fed me three meals a day. The only time I really needed food was for snacks or souvenirs and everything was at a good price. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 0 to 30 dollars |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you see something you really like, but it's really expensive. It's likely that you will see it again in another shop. |
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 |
In order to go anywhere in the city you needed to use Spanish. All the tours were completely in Spanish and all of our classes as well. The program directors would talk to us in Spanish whenever possible. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 4 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | You should always speak when you get the chance. Thats the whole reason to go on a program like this. You can't worry too much about messing up a sentence. |
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 wish I brought a bigger bag. I had so many things to bring back. |
