Mi desafío favorito de mi vida July 30, 2025
By Will H (Environmental Studies/Geography, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/24/2025 to 07/15/2025 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valdivia
I developed spanish skills, learned to live independently, learned to deal with people I do or do not like being around
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I found the academic rigor to be less than my experience in the US at Middlebury, but altogether turned out to be just as challenging because the content was entirely in Spanish and I was unfamiliar with the resources and systems that exist at the university. Orientations and professors were useful but nevertheless it was a rapid moving immersive experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I thought the orientation and services facilitated by middlebury were very valuable in comparison to what I saw other exchange students doing which did not offer them quite as much cultural and language immersion, nor support and guidance. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with a host family can be very challenging and exhausting but it was still an invaluable part of my experience and was key to allowing me to learn about the culture and improve my spanish. |
| * Food: |
Food was good. Not much to say here, but it definitely seems to depend on the host family. I know some people that got terrible food whereas my host mother tried to cook for most meals. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Very challenging getting into circles with chilean students, but identifying activities I like and trying to pursue those where other students were was a good way to break this barrier down a bit. The cultural mentors facilitated by middlebury were valuable. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I would say basically all the time I felt safe, just a little bit different in how people are around each other sometimes, and in Santiago had to watch out. Also, sometimes the micros would crash which wasn't too problematic but still worth noting. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
it was great |
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) |
I did not spend too much on normal living expenses. Most of my food and housing came down to the $580 I paid each month to my host family. However, travelling and doing a little "extra" than just living expenses added up and would probably put the expenses on the higher end. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Aside from the standard $580 I paid each month, I probably spent less than $75-$100 a week on food and other necessities. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You can get great food for pretty cheap, if you're interested in travelling focus your money on that. |
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 |
Technically we were supposed to speak, write, read, and listen in Spanish all the time. I did this a majority but when I was relaxing I would use my phone in English and often when I was with American friends (which was by no means all the time) we would speak English. I was probably engaging with Spanish more than 80% of the time. |
| 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? | 300 level content course at middlebury |
| 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? | just try it and don't worry about saying things right or if you have to ask someone to repeat themselves. it's ok. |
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? | just have to go for it and find out to learn |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Sociedad y Naturaleza |
| Course Department: | Antropología |
| Instructor: | Magadalena Navarro |
| Instruction Language: | Español |
| Comments: | I found the content to be very thought provoking and not especially challenging. Nevertheless, the course being in spanish made it harder to participate, and without a base understanding of some anthropological concepts it would have been harder to keep up because in Chile all the students go from class to class together by class year. The professor was very effective and passionate about the subject with plenty of creative approaches to discussing the topic. I absolutely participated less than I would have at Middlebury in the US. Assessments were varied but mainly some kind of group project, which was a good way to connect with other students, and in this particular class, the assignments were not excessively challenging. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no issues as far as I am aware. |
