A Love-Hate Relationship Past Review
By Dorian H (Sociology, Hamline University) for
Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso: Valparaiso - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I'm definitely blessed and grateful to have met such wonderful people. However do to my own personal demise I was having a hard time adapting. From a sociologist perspective, Chile can seem like a pretty grim place, set up against the minority, just like the United States. But as a student it was a great place and experience.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I wish they would have offer different, major-related courses. The course registration process what pretty loose and informal. I wish they would've given advice on how to go about registering, because instead I felt like I had to figure it out on my own, and I had no knowledge about which courses would qualify as major-related credits or whether or not they could go towards my major or my institution's credit requirements. The International Student Office in Chile did so much for me while I was there. And they were an enormous help whenever I had questions about anything. The workload that was given was pretty heavy for the majority of the international studies. I think they should kind of "dumb it down" in the future, because to be able to write a 25 page History paper in a second language is pretty intense. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They offered their support and help whenever. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my house, they were very accomodating and loving people. We lived right by the options (just wonderful). |
| * Food: |
I love the food but it was fattening. I should have dined out more often. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The local universities had such great events and programs for students. They were very age-appropriate and so much fun. The night life was great too. The cities definitely catered to the needs of the students and locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I got sick down there, but I still got help when I needed it. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I think class discussions would help, whether it's a daily small group session or a class session. I think it could have benefited international students. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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? | Be open minded, and know that you are gonna be surprised. Remember that this is an unforgettable and helpful opportunity. |
