My Best Decision in College Past Review
By Austin Allday (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 03/02/2016 to 06/30/2016 with
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile: Santiago - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
100% worthwhile.
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. |
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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? |
Absolutely love my host family. I'm going to miss them so much! |
| * Food: |
Chilean food is good but can be kind of bland on the day to day. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I feel very integrated. I joined a volleyball team and met tons of Chileans, and my host family makes a big effort to include me in everyday life. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I haven't had any issues. |
| * Safety: |
I haven't felt unsafe to date, but I've had friends who occasionally ended up in less than ideal situations. Keys to safety include being hyperaware of your surroundings at all times and avoiding problem areas, especially during worker or student protests. |
| 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 |
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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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
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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* 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? | 10+ |
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? | How much money I was going to spend traveling on weekends. |
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.' |
