Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

It was a very long semester August 15, 2023

By (Architectural Studies, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/24/2023 to 07/17/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Montevideo

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My Spanish skills vastly improved, and I think I became less bothered by embarrassing myself in public, which happened often when speaking a second language.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academic rigor was less than I anticipated, which was disappointing.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The on-site administrator was helpful, but because it is such a small program, there is only one person which did not help me feel supported, as every problem was up to only her judgement to resolve.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host mom redid the apartment I was living in at the end of the semester and it's much nicer now, but it was not the most comfortable of housing for most of the semester and I also didn't have much contact with her.

* Food:

I did not like most of the local foods - everything is generally less flavorful there, spicy food is impossible to find, and everything has ham and cheese in it which is an issue for someone who doesn't like ham. That being said, alfajores are delicious and I wish they existed in the US.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I struggled to make friends with local students for a variety of reasons, and due to my limited contact with my host mom didn't really feel like I was part of a "host family" as such.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues.

* Safety:

There are certain areas we were advised to avoid, but the part of the city where we spent most of our time was quite safe, and I would say that overall I felt safe there.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

The cost of living in Montevideo is higher than pretty much anywhere else in Latin America. The fact that the Schools Abroad website estimates $1500 a semester in personal expenses is a joke.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? At least $150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Go to Argentina

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

We were theoretically required to speak Spanish by the Language Pledge, but we never actually had to sign anything and therefore were not always in compliance.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced
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? I had taken three 300-level Spanish courses at Middlebury.
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Make friends with local students or other international students who don't speak English.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Academic options
  • Living in a city
  • The bakery by my apartment
* What could be improved?
  • Academic counseling
  • Community-building
  • Social support/help making friends
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how expensive it was there, and also that the first semester classes at ORT (at least in architecture), are much less rigorous than what I am used to at Middlebury. It also would've been nice to know that beyond filling out the form about my preferences, I didn't get an option about my housing or the internship I did, I was just placed somewhere by the director.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Proyecto 1
Course Department: Facultad de Arquitectura
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: I would recommend this course to anyone who is very early on in their study of Architecture. If you have already done and introductory design course, this will be review.
Credit Transfer Issues: Middlebury transfers credits automatically to Middlebury students.
Course Name/Rating:

Dibujo 1
Course Department: Facultad de Arquitectura
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This class was not challenging, although grading standards were extremely unclear which did cause issues for some students. Most of the 5 hours a week of class time I would not consider necessary for what we did in the course. I had fun with the assignments, but I wouldn't consider it the best use of time.
Credit Transfer Issues: n/a
Course Name/Rating:

Introducción a la arquitectura contemporánea
Course Department: Facultad de Arquitectura
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: I enjoyed this course - it was the most academically rigorous of the three that I took, and we covered a wide range of topics and architects, and visited a local studio. The one criticism I would make is that, excepting a few weeks towards the end of the course, the subject matter was very western-focused, giving the impression that all progress in modern architecture happened in Europe and the US.
Credit Transfer Issues: n/a