Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Difficult, but rewarding experience, in a beautiful country July 28, 2025

By (Biology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/24/2025 to 07/04/2025 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valdivia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
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

* 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.

* 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.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Amazing host mom, had a great experience with her.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* 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

* 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
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

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • 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 sustainability and society track
  • My cultural mentor/host mom
  • The nature/accessibility to nature
* What could be improved?
  • The Chilean Universities International Director
  • Transition from orientation to host families (possibly adding more meetings within Valdivia)
  • More information on how the university functions
* 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 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:

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