A Challenging but Stellar Santiago Adventure Past Review
By Rianna A (Economics, Wellesley College) - abroad from 03/03/2015 to 07/06/2015 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Santiago
A cultural learning experience that I can pull on in many different ways, new international friends that I will remain in touch with, a new perspective on learning, government and our economic system. I definitely think my experience was worthwhile and would highly recommend other students participate in the same program.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Jeff and his team were always involved and happy to help with any problem we had |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Host families were good ways to integrate into Chilean culture |
* Food: |
Food was provided through the program and was always good |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
For the most part I felt integrated, obviously certain physical characteristics kept me from completely integrating. |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Friends in the program who needed health help were able to get the care they needed in a timely fashion |
* Safety: |
If you're smart chances of having a safety issue are low |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
Transportation and food were not cheap |
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 300 |
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 expected to use Spanish all the time and avoid English unless speaking to family back home |
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? | An intermediate course |
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? | Keep a running list of new words |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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 had known how mentally exhausting jumping into a new culture would be, especially trying to master a new language a long the way. It's important to know before hand that assimilation does not happen overnight or even in a month. Some people will find it easier to assimilate than others and it's important to know each person will become comfortable in their new surroundings at their own pace/ |
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 LinguistYou 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! |