Challenging, but incredible semester in Havana! Past Review
By A student (Africana Studies, Barnard College) - abroad from 08/22/2013 to 12/14/2013 with
Sarah Lawrence College: Havana - Sarah Lawrence College in Cuba
It was certainly worthwhile, in addition to learning a lot about Cuban culture, I learned so much about myself and what it means to be a foreigner in another land. I gained so much confidence and independence, which are both qualities I would say I had before as well, I definitely feel like a different person after coming back (which is sometimes hard to process, but not a bad thing).
Review Photos
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. |
The academic rigor was not like my home university, but most people involved with the University of Havana were very willing to help you accomplish what you hoped to in your semester abroad. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The people on the ground in Cuba that organized our time there are amazing and became like family! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I wish we had been able to do a homestay, but given that that's not part of the program, our living arrangements were okay. Also wish we had hot water once it started getting a bit chillier, but it wasn't too bad just for a semester. |
| * Food: |
There's not a ton of variety, but if you like rice & beans and root vegetables, you'll be good to go! I loved the food so I was happy most of the time, but it can feel a bit monotonous at times. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated with academic institutions because of the way our program was set up, but in terms of interacting with Cubans my age, that was harder to accomplish. Since everyone on the program lived together and we became very close very quickly, the impetus to go out and meet other people wasn't quite as strong, so I spent a lot more time with American students than I expected to. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe my whole time in Cuba, it's just a matter of using common sense and a bit of city street smarts like you would in any big city. |
| 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) |
Because of the double currency in Cuba, it's pretty easy to live frugally in Havana, but with souvenirs and whatnot, I ended up spending about as much as I do on a regular semester at home. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably about $15-$20 USD. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Talk to students before you go! Also know that your costs will go way down once you get a carné (Cuban ID card). |
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 |
We had a program-sanctioned rule to speak only Spanish in the streets (which became more lax as the semester went on) that was really helpful in the early weeks to make us figure out how to communicate in Spanish. |
| 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? | Cultural classes in Spanish (after grammar and pure language courses) |
| 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? | Listen to music in the language and really just try to struggle through the slow start when you first get there! It's totally worth it and pays off! |
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 known that there would be the possibility of me not taking classes with Cuban students during my semester abroad. And that coming back to school would be the most challenging part of my experience. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
