Perspective-shifting and deeply impactful Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The program was mostly field-based, rich in excursions, school visits, practical experience, etc. We also did have many seminars given by university professors related to our topic, lectures from our program staff, and Spanish classes, also from university professors. At the beginning of the program, I felt as though I had more free time than at my home university (my days filled with class, work, clubs, and then endless homework), spending the morning and some of every afternoon doing program activities/class, and then only being assigned simple homework assignments (some readings, a few essays, projects/presentations). Throughout the rest of the semester we did have a bit more work to do, with essays and reflections and our final project and 25 page paper. However, I still felt as if the workload wasn't overwhelming and the learning was still great (mostly from field experiences).

On-site administration of your program

Our program directors were very dedicated, caring, and giving, and for the most part ran the program very well. There were some qualms within my group about the leadership, organization, and quality of some of the directors since we felt that our time could have been spent learning more effectively in ways other than designed by the program. Overall, however, I would still consider the administration of decent quality.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Extremely.

I was always satisfied with the food, as my host mom would cook for the two of us, and although her food was nothing extravagant, I thought it was delicious and filling and she put her heart into the kitchen. as a vegetarian my meals consisted mainly of beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas, pastas, salads, and rice. Chilean food, in general, is not incredibly noteworthy, however, the bread is outstanding and we ate it incessantly as it's a staple of the Chilean diet.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Fairly. Living with a host family meant that I spent a lot of my time completely immersed in the culture, however, I wish I had branched out and connected with more Chileans outside of my family. The American students in my program tended to stick together for social time, but since we lived with Chileans in the city of Santiago, spoke Spanish, and learned from at about Chile, I still felt very integrated.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Very well. The program staff were there for us always and got students the help they needed. On the mental health side, however, many students felt as if the program needed much greater and higher-quality support easily accessible to students. From what I observed, mental health was not seen or treated as seriously as it should have been.

Santiago is a generally safe city, and can be navigated smartly in order to keep oneself even more safe. I never felt unsafe using public transportation. Typically anyone going out at night would go in pairs or a group, in order to not appear as a target or vulnerable. I did hear a few stories about street harassment, typically against women. There were also a few instances of pick pocketing. I was cautioned to always keep bags close to prevent stealing, and to always check behind me to be proactive about being followed.

One of my peers and I decided that when reflecting on our experience and our program, we had no regrets. Lots of suggestions for improvements in the program, but no regrets. I learned more than I could have ever imagined about people, life, the language, culture, the world, the US, history, politics, society ... I made connections and met people that will be part of me forever, and I don't think I would give those up for anything.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I lived and travelled very cheaply, always using public transportation, buying very few groceries since my meals were cooked by my host mom, going out to eat very little, buying few clothes/souvenirs, finding deals on events and excursions, and being conscious about the amount of money I spent. Even though I went the "cheap" route, I still feel as though I had a full experience.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans

• Homestays and language
• Internship
• New perspectives and connections - with learning and people

• Organization
• Teaching style (less seminars, more experiences)
• Valuing students' interests and feedback. Also, speakers that were less sexist.

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer