Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Fantastic beautiful and wonderful despite having no dinner September 13, 2023

By (Earth Science, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/26/2023 to 07/15/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valdivia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Gained valuable lessons about life in South America and Chile, became more culturally aware, learned a lot about Chile, became better at Spanish

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Lack of dinner (I didnt like the system of once) the rest was great

* Food:

Mentioned above lack of dinner

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I mean I cant comment on this issue because I didn't need to seek medical care

* Safety:

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

Loved the area and loved the people there

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)

kinda expensive without a job

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Walk a lot

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? SPAN 0387
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? Watch a lot of tv shows and movies continue to increase vocabulary

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people
  • The area
  • The volcanoes
* What could be improved?
  • Dinner
  • Previous acquisition of Chilean words
  • Less interference from Middlebury
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That my host family was not a typical host family, it was a pension (totally great but not a host family per say)

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 Adventurer
The 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:

Sedimentary Petrology
Course Department: Geology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Hardddd
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Paleontology
Course Department: Geology
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Hard tests
Credit Transfer Issues: