THE most transformative experience of my life June 25, 2026
By Alexandra M (Sociology, Colby College) - abroad from 02/23/2026 to 07/17/2026 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Santiago
I developed my personal, academic, and professional agency through the curriculum I took of classes, an internship, and an independent study. I became fluent in Spanish, which was my initial goal, which gave me confidence and pride in myself. I met incredible people in the Midd program who will remain my friends for years to come, and immersing myself in Chilean culture opened my eyes to other (healthier, dare I say, better?) ways of living life outside the U.S./Western Europe bubble.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I was challenged by the academic curriculum, but it was never too much to handle. I was able to pursue independent interests and take classes of varying rigor. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We had a lot of independence and rarely saw our program directors after orientation, but they were always very responsive via email or WhatsApp |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with a host family was key in immersion, and my host family was accomodating, kind, and sociable. It's an adjustment not being able to eat exactly what you want, and the lack of AC and central heating is tough, but manageable. |
| * Food: |
Chile is not known for flavorful or balanced cuisine. Fortunately for me, I love bread, meat, tomatoes, and avocado. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Middlebury does a fantastic job at encouraging immersion. I quickly adjusted to living my life in Spanish (we had a period of a couple weeks before classes began purely for this), which allowed me to interact with Chileans more easily. Santiago is very navigable, which made getting to know the city and the culture easy. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had a cold once. My host mom made me a remedy juice of ginger, orange, and honey. There are pharmacies EVERYWHERE. Not much to say other than that. |
| * Safety: |
Santiago has a reputation for petty crime, but like any big city, if you're smart with your belongings in public (phones, purses) and where you go at night, you should be fine. Never felt nervous for my physical safety. The program spent a large portion of orientation giving us tips on this subject. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Middlebury's immersion model was key to the overall value of my experience. Without the challenge of language and cultural immersion, I would not have seen the same personal growth. Chile is an incredible country and Santiago was a perfect city for a young adult. |
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) |
Travel and eating out were the largest expenses, and those were optional. All the food that I NEEDED was provided to me by my host family. Metro is pretty cheap, less than a dollar for each ride. Buses are slightly cheaper. Santiago also has a much lower cost of living than many cities in the U.S. |
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 |
We all signed a language pledge, and my fellow students in the program all used Spanish with each other, which was easier than I expected after an initial awkward adjustment period of 2-3 weeks. I found it worked only as well as I allowed it to. You get out what you put in, and you can get out a LOT from the langauge pledge. |
| 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? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Multiple 300-level Spanish electives at Colby |
| 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? | Lean into the discomfort!! That's the only way you'll get better. Don't be afraid to ask vocab or grammar questions of native speakers. |
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 knew more about how cold temperatures feel colder in Santiago's dry climate than they do on the East Coast of the US. I also could have benefitted from more clarity on grades and credit-transfer |
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! |
