Past Review
By Lauren R (Latin American Studies., The University of Texas at Austin) for
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM): Queretaro - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Yes, very worthwhile. I gained a lot of knowledge about the culture and the language and how to travel. My Spanish has improved significantly and I have learned things about the culture I could have only learned from visiting the country. While these are expected, I also learned a lot about myself. I learned that I love being independent and traveling the world. I know that I like to do things alone and have my own experiences and Study Abroad has allowed me to do so.
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. |
I definitely learn a lot while abroad, my spanish improved tremendously. I did have some trouble communicating with my teachers. I expressed my need of help in the class and did not get as good of a response as I had hoped for. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt very informed and felt that they were there to help me if I needed any assistance. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was great! I finally began having good conversations with them in Spanish towards the end of the program and that felt great. I believe this part of the program helped my Spanish tremendously. Also the house and accommodations were excellent. |
| * Food: |
Mexican food is great. I was a little worried because I am a vegetarian but my host mom was very accommodating! She was a great cook. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made a GREAT group of friends while abroad. It was definitely positive because it was nice to have a support group. I do wish we had met more locals though. O |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Despite how the media displays Mexico, I felt secure the whole time. There was no point in time that I was scared for my safety. I travelled to Mexico City twice and as long as you know where you're going and are aware of your surroundings, it felt very safe. Overall, the program informed us of what to do and what not to do in order to avoid unsafe situations. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
The worst thing was that my friends and I spoke in English all of the time. If you can find a way to avoid that, then you would learn a lot more. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* 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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Do it! It is a great town that is close to other great places to visit. The university there is one of the best in Mexico and you can tell. They take care of their foreign students very well and the whole program is set up very well. I would recommend living with a host family as well. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Intermedio II |
| Course Department: | SPN 312L |
| Instructor: | Sandra Gonzalez y Liliana Quitar |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | It was a very challenging course for me. I had points where I struggled to grasp what I needed to do in the class in order to succeed. Overall, I learned a lot and the class was a positive experience for me. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
