Difficult, but rewarding experience, in a beautiful country July 28, 2025
By Lola H (Biology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/24/2025 to 07/04/2025 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valdivia
It was definitely worthwhile. I grew a lot, learned a lot about myself. I learned/advanced a lot in my Spanish and confirmed what I wanted to do career wise.
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. |
The track was very strong and had great academic rigor, intensity, and resources. The university I was enrolled in did not have many resources, and it did not have very much intensity until the end of the semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very communicative, frequent visits, and were receptive and tried to resolve any issues I was having. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Amazing host mom, had a great experience with her. |
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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: |
felt very safe, at all times of the day and at night |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Extremely difficult, and I did struggle a lot however, I loved the people there and all the wonderful experiences I had. It is an amazing place and program for anyone interested in learning the Spanish language and conservation. It is a very outdoorsy city, with lots of nature. You will also definitely advance in your spanish as many do not speak much english in Valdivia. |
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) |
Easily. However, it does help if you save beforehand to be able to have more options for travel and other experiences. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 15 to 20 dollars. Significantly more if I decided to travel. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | - save beforehand - Many of the local/cultural experiences are not too expensive and more fun (touristy ones are) - buses are great and not very expensive - Valdivia is very safe and walkable/bikeable, save money by walking or biking instead of taking the micro - The cafeterias in the University are expensive, buy food right outside the university or pack lunch |
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 |
The track encouraged the use of spanish and much of our time in Chiloé was in Spanish |
| 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? | Spanish 300 |
| 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? | - Talk to people in your class, people are very nice and want to talk to you - your cultural mentor will have great conversations with you and is very pacient - talk to your horse parents/mom they love to chat and are great for practice - it is okay to speak English sometimes because you will get burnt out, just dont completely give up on your Spanish |
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 would have liked to know more about how the Chilean Academic system works, how classes are taught, how grades are handled. |
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: |
Nature, Culture, Education |
| Course Department: | Humanities |
| Instructor: | Rabanal Damaso |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Very interactive classes, multiple projects, class participation, and dialogue. The teacher was very knowledgeable and created a wonderful educational environment and promoting much learning and reflection. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
