5 Months Abroad: Not Enough Time! February 13, 2023
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/27/2022 to 12/19/2022 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valdivia
I gained technical skills but also a more holistic perspective on what life is like outside of where I live. I am excited to keep in touch with the friends I made.
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 very much enjoyed the program and track I was in, but because of the strike at UACH I feel like I missed out on the university experience. Obviously that is out of the hands of Middlebury, but it certainly impacted my study abroad. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration team were always eager to help, and I never felt uncomfortable reaching out to them if I had a question. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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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? |
Yes
I liked the sustainability and society track because it allowed me a good amount of independence while at the same time supporting and guiding me. |
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) |
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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 |
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| 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? | 380 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 that 5 months really isn't a long time and that I should take advantage of traveling the country more on the weekends. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Geografia de Chile |
| Course Department: | Geografia |
| Instructor: | Marcela Osorio |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The class met once a week for a long lecture period without field trips, but the group work allowed me to integrate myself into the university and make new friends. I wrote several 2-3 page essays for weekly assignments and then worked with a group of two other students two submit two longer research papers. I partcipated the same amount as I would have at Middlebury, and attended every class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | That is still to be determined, I have not completed this process yet. |
