Arica, Siempre Arica September 25, 2024
By Liam F (Anthropology, Pre Med, Washington University in St. Louis) - abroad from 02/19/2024 to 06/03/2024 with
SIT Study Abroad: Chile - Public Health, Traditional Medicine, and Community Empowerment
Not only did I gain knowledge of public health, indigenous medicine, and the Spanish language, but I gained new friends and connections that expand to places I had never thought before. The people I met alone make the experience worth it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The Independent Study Project and writing assignments were somewhat difficult but grades were always very fair. I felt like they did a good job balancing academic rigor and an mazing experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was amazing! I always felt like I could talk to them if I needed anything and they were super accommodating. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was the best part of my study abroad experience. They really welcomed me to Arica, supported my academically and emotionally, and provided nice accommodations (including yummy food!). My only complaint was that I was a long walk from campus and spent a lot of time walking every day. |
| * Food: |
Food was good and plentiful. Sometimes I felt like there was a lack of variety in Arica. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Arica, siempre Arica. I think the homestay really helps you integrate to the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not really have any health issues other than minor colds so I did not use this. The vaccines were the normal ones I need for school. |
| * Safety: |
I felt fairly safe compared to the United States. I did not know of any safety-related incidents; however, I was constantly warned to be safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program provided me with everything that I wanted from my abroad experience and more. I made new friends, learned a new culture, and got to experience a different style of life. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat with your host family! |
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 |
Nearly everything was in Spanish. This was very uncomfortable for me at first, but my Spanish improved more than I ever thought it would! The team is also very accommodating and if there were ever any doubts, they would try to speak in english. My host family did not speak any english, but I never had trouble communicating. |
| 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 3202: How Spanish Works |
| 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? | Speak, speak, speak. Listen, listen, listen. The only way to get better is to practice like you are actually there. If possible, try to speak with native spanish speakers - this helps a lot. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 0 |
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 did not realize how small the program would be and there would be limited opportunity for individual travel. This is not a bad thing, I actually liked it, just a bit different from other people's study abroad 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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
