Vamos a Valpo Past Review
By A student (Spanish/Sociology, Trinity University) - abroad from 08/26/2013 to 12/09/2013 with
SIT Study Abroad: Chile - Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development
Being abroad taught me so much about my ability to navigate a new city independently. I learned a lot about myself, honed my Spanish skills, and developed relationships with an amazing family. I would recommend that anyone that has a chance to study/live/work abroad does so - it is life changing!
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. |
Well the classes themselves weren't very rigorous, they were incredibly interesting. I liked that SIT is based in experiential learning, and I think I ended up learning the most from my excursion to the north of Chile and my independent study project, both of which were integral to the development of my Spanish skills. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My program advisors were incredible people. They were funny and caring and got to know each of us on an individual level. We joked that one of them was like our mother and I loved knowing that there was always someone I could talk to whenever I needed help with anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with a host family really augmented the abroad experience for me, especially the language component. My family was incredibly sweet and I could tell that the program had truly tried to match people to families based on their interests and compatibility. Overall, almost everyone in my group had a positive experience with their families. |
| * Food: |
Beyond the overload of mayonnaise, Chilean food is good, but not amazing. There are a few standouts, like choripan and empanadas, but overall I was definitely missing food from home. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It can be hard to feel integrated when everyone notices how much you stand out, but attending local cultural events like documentary screenings, watching soccer games with friends, and going out at night with peoples' local host siblings really helped me feel more engaged with the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally didn't have any health issues during the program, but several people from program had to see doctors/visit the hospital and received really great care and support from the program. I only needed basic vaccines and a negative TB test to enter the country. |
| * Safety: |
There are definitely parts of Valpo that are safer than others, but by being smart you can ensure that you are never in a situation that makes you feel scared. Instead of going home after late nights, I spent the night with a friend, which made us both feel safer about walking the streets at night and eased my host parents' minds. Walking on busy streets and being smart about public transportation are other good ways to stay staff. American women (especially blondes!) will draw a lot of attention, so it's best not to respond, particularly if you're walking alone. |
| 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) |
During the first few weeks, I spent more money, but over time it was easy to live on a student's budget. My host mom packed me a lunch and gave me dinner every day, and drinks and snacks are cheap in the city. During the ISP, our program gave us a stipend which more than covered food and transportation. Cell phones and bus tickets were super cheap, and overall I didn't spent too much money throughout the semester. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50.00 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Pack snacks from home, carry a refillable water bottle, find cheap bars, and always budget for the most important things! |
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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 3322 |
| 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? | Try your hardest to explain words you don't know instead of reaching for the dictionary. Having to explain something in a different way is great for your language skills! Also, take advantage of your host family to practice. They will be so patient and many will have previous experience with students who are learning the language. |
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 that I had known that it would actually be cold in the winter! Participants should bring warm clothes! |
