Challenging and Rewarding Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 07/29/2019 to 10/30/2019 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valparaiso
Language near fluency, loving host family, a few local friends and friends within the program, much more knowledge of history and culture of the country, and learning to live more independently.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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* Food: |
A little lacking in variety and protein (I am vegetarian) |
* 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: |
very safe up until the beginning of protests |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I truly enjoyed the program. It was a bit more academically rigorous than I anticipated, but I found it very much improved my language skills, I loved my host family, and thought I was able to learn about the culture very easily. |
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) |
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Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $40 |
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 |
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How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 326 |
How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | You have to actively attempt to make connections with people, they won’t just happen to you |