Learn with the best people in the best landscape Past Review
By Natalie s (Environmental Studies, College of Saint Benedict and Saint Johns University) - abroad from 09/21/2014 to 12/12/2014 with
Round River Conservation Studies - Patagonia, Chile Program
I can say will full confidence that I will continue to learn from my time in Patagonia for the rest of my life. The people I met and the ideas I was introduced to completely changed my way of thinking. I met lifelong friends, defied my perceived physical limits, and was constantly having fun.
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? |
The adventure, constant-backpacking that we expected was never cut short. But it was also nice to have a few days in between trips at homebase with a bathroom and kitchen. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Spending most of our time in the field, there wasnt much culture to be integrated in (besides the Guanaco), but whenever we got a chance to be with local Gauchos or Chileans we were always encouraged to soak it up. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $10 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | splurge on wine while on boats. cheap wine does not bode well with seasickness. |
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? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | two semesters in college |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Always be actively involved. Even if you are not one to hop into every conversation, be constantly listening to and trying to understand what is being said. Write down vocab and grammer. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | I wish I had packed less, but also differently. We were not hiking the whole time and had basecamp to store things in. It would have been nice to have normal clothes to wear in town. |
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 AdventurerThe 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. |
