Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Study abroad in Valparaíso, Chile 2016 Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 06/17/2016 to 12/10/2016 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valparaiso

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Improved Spanish abilities, cultural immersion, new friends, a sense of independence

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes were difficult because I am not at the same level of Spanish as my native speaker classmates

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A I had no experience with healthcare abroad

* Safety:

I never had problems, but was acutely aware that I wasn't as safe in Valpo as in other places. A few of my friends were robbed during the semester.

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

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $35

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
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? SPAN0349
How many hours per day did you use the language?

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
  • Americans
  • International 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?
  • Chile is the most beautiful country
  • my internship
  • my host family
* What could be improved?
  • The Middlebury writing class
  • The first excursion with our Chilean mentors was not well planned
  • More structure while school was on strike
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Meeting new people can be very difficult, especially in a foreign language, but a little bit of courage can go a long way

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:

América: prehistoria, descubrimiento y conquista

Course Department: History
Instructor: Prof. Urbina
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: A difficult class in its own right, even harder for an exchange student. The professor did very little to accommodate me in class
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Historia de Chile Siglos XIX-XXI
Course Department: History
Instructor: Prof. Molina
Instruction Language:
Comments: Good class. The only difficulty was that my chilean classmates were already familiar with chilean history but I had to learn everything from scratch. The professor was very accommodating to me as an exchange student.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

America Precolombina en textos e imagenes
Course Department: Art
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: The class had a very odd format. The only grade we received was for our final exam. It was a very easy class.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Cine Latinoamericano
Course Department: Art
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues: