"Viviring" Bien: An unforgettable immersion into new cultures and places Past Review
By Kendall Gail (Northwestern University) - abroad from 08/27/2019 to 12/09/2019 with
SIT Study Abroad: Bolivia - Multiculturalism, Globalization, and Social Change
My Spanish skills definitely improved, I gained more cultural competency in addition to gaining confidence in traveling in new areas by myself. I also learned new skills for conducting ethical research abroad The experiences I had in Bolivia and what I learned from them would not have happened anywhere else.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
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 |
SIT staff were incredible! They were extremely kind, welcoming, and flexible. I never felt unsafe or uncertain thanks to their guidance and love. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host stay family was open, kind and able to accommodate my food restrictions. |
| * Food: |
I have severe food allergies but was able to navigate safely during my experience and felt extremely supported and cared for by SIT staff and my host families. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Many students on our program became sick but staff was able to care for everyone and make sure they were well enough to travel and participate. When we traveled to more remote locations we were accompanied by a doctor, who was able to assist us when something happened. |
| * Safety: |
As long as you keep an eye on all of your belongings, don't pet the street dogs and don't flag down unmarked taxis you will be fine. Our program had no major safety issues. |
| 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) |
SIT provided us with stipends when we traveled and it was easy to take out money from ATMs, even with exchange fees. 7 Bolivianos equal one American dollar |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about $5-7 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Frequently working in coffee shops is an easy way to spend a lot of money very fast! |
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 |
They encouraged us to speak Spanish as much as possible. Our courses were all in Spanish and we tried to speak in Spanish as a group when we could. |
| 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? | Advanced |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Don't be afraid to make mistakes! I improved just by speaking as much as possible and could feel my confidence growing the more that I continued talking with my host family and Bolivians. |
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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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? | To not worry about my Spanish skills and that flexibility is key! |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
