Great experiences to be had if you take advantage of your opportunities Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

This program was definitely more rigorous than other programs (non-Middlebury) that I have heard about from other students. I wrote 2 papers for my program-specific class (one 10 pages and one 20 pages) in addition to coursework at the university. All of my professors were excellent. While the workload was stressful at times, I appreciated having a quality academic experience and not wasting time for 5 months.

On-site administration of your program

The Midd administration in Uruguay is amazing. They were kind, very supportive, and helped me resolve any problems or concerns I had. At the same time, they allowed all of us to have a high level of independence.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family was one of the highlights of my program. They included me in most family activities, including a birthday party for their grandson, nightly family dinners, and weekend day trips. They did their best to make me feel as at home as possible and always respected my privacy. I was lucky to be with such as loving family.

The Uruguayan diet is very meat-centric, so be prepared. The steak was some of the best I had ever had, and my host family cared about preparing balanced meals. However, in the city you will not find as many options as you might in a more cosmopolitan city (Buenos Aires or Rio, for example). There is a lot of ham and cheese, and not a lot of international food and/or spicy food. I had a very good food experience overall (the asados are to die for), but others, especially vegetarians, might have a hard time.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very welcomed by all of the Uruguayan people I met. At my university, the other students didn't necessarily go out of their way to meet me, although they were very friendly once I started talking to them. Being someone with lighter hair and blue eyes, there was a limit to how integrated I could feel. I could not pass as an Uruguayan, and people regularly vocalized this (once or twice someone would come up to me and try to practice their English without me having done or said anything). Nevertheless,

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I went to the hospital once to check on a minor head injury. The insurance authorization was easy and my program coordinator helped me make sure I provided all the right information. I went to the hospital by myself and found my way to the right place. It was unclear whether or not they had staff that spoke English, and I ended up having the entire appointment in Spanish. Overall, it went fine, although had the injury been more serious I would've needed more support (the program would've been happy to provide that). There were no health issues in the country, but I got the recommended vaccines for this part of South America so that I would not have to worry about traveling (Typhoid, Yellow Fever).

Montevideo feels extremely safe (from talking to friends in Buenos Aires at the time, Montevideo is much safer). My program mates and I had no problem walking home alone at 4:00 in the morning and never had problems with theft or violence. I had heard about it happening to others (nobody that I knew), so I would recommend exercising the same caution you would in any big city, but I was never concerned about my safety.

I really enjoyed the program, although if I did it again I would have chosen to attend a private school instead of the public school. Being one of the only international students at UDELAR (and not being very extroverted/outgoing) made it hard to meet people as they were already set in their routines. The private schools had many international students, many of whom were from Spanish-speaking countries, and the Uruguayans who attended the private schools were used to meeting internationals. Had I gone to private school, it would have been easier to practice speaking Spanish more often.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

With breakfast and dinner being covered in my room and board arrangement with my host family, responsible for buying or making lunch every day. While I can't say how much I spent each week on food, it seemed reasonable, although food was more expensive in Montevideo than it was in Buenos Aires and Rio. Clothes also tended to be very expensive, so I hardly bought any. Other things, like haircuts, sporting events, and concerts, were very cheap compared to in the US. Overall, I spent most of my money on food and travel (I didn't buy a lot of personal goods). Flying to other countries in South America is expensive, although taking buses within Uruguay and finding hostels or Airbnbs was manageable.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Middlebury was very strict about its Language Pledge.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• International Students

• People I met
• Quality of academic instruction
• Support from Middlebury staff onsite

• Information about different university options during the application process

The Academic or Linguist