I lived with a Shaman in Chile Past Review
By A student (International/Global Studies., Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/22/2011 to 12/05/2011 with
SIT Study Abroad: Chile - Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment
I was able to learn about an indigenous culture and participate in shamanic ceremonies and I made some wonderful friends.
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 Spanish classes were very basic, but the opportunities provided and field excursions were incredible |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
As a US based program, they are fairly well organized and timely. All of the costs are included and accurate. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was only interested in the money and not in me. I had the opportunity to change, but the family convinced me things would be different. There was no change, but I did give feedback to the program, and my friends had wonderful host families. |
| * Food: |
Chilean food is not the best diet, but I went to friends' houses often to eat and learn to cook and the produce at markets is cheap. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was able to join the fire department and university soccer team and I dated a local. I was able to interact with everyone I met and I made some great friends, but I never felt comfortable getting attention in the streets. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
We spent a lot of our time in health centers and with health practitioners. Any health issues were taken care of. I got vaccinated for Yellow Fever before I went. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe, even during the protests, especially because we were in small communities. |
| 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) |
The program cost includes everything - meals at home, money for transport, meals on excursions. You only need money to go out if you want or for souvenirs. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| 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? | Go to the clubs on Ladies' night. free entry. souvenirs in the artesanal markets are cheap. |
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 |
I spoke Spanish whenever possible, but there were some people on the program with very low levels of 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? | College Writing coursework |
| 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? | make local friends. I learned a lot facebook chatting with Chileans too. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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? | bring sunblock, like 5 changes of clothing, and take all opportunities to hang out with locals. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Public Health, Indigenous Medicine & Community Empowerment |
| Course Department: | Sociology & Anthropology |
| Instructor: | Rossana Testa |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The course brought in health care practitioners from various fields, who were knowledgeable, but not trained professors. The presentations were at times difficult to follow, and the format was a lecture with questions at the end, so there was very little student participation or discussion. We were assessed with exams at the end of each section. We had field excursions to health centers and hospitals and indigenous communities. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I had no issues transferring credits. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Research Methods |
| Course Department: | Sociology & Anthropology |
| Instructor: | Penelope Cruz |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The class was not challenging, but it was difficult to apply what we learned because we were in the process of deciding what our independent projects would be. Again, the format was a lecture with limited participation or discussion. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No issues transferring credit. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Spanish |
| Course Department: | Spanish |
| Instructor: | Jorge Peña |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Even the highest level of Spanish was below my level of competence . . . I had previously lived in Latin American countries and I did not need a review of the names of clothes. I would have benefited more by passing time with Chileans than in a class with American students. However, we were taken to cultural sites as part of the class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No need to transfer credit. |
