Oaxaca awaits you! July 24, 2024
By Jessica G (Latin American Studies, Gettysburg College) - abroad from 01/28/2024 to 05/10/2024 with
SIT Study Abroad: Mexico - Migration, Borders, and Transnational Communities
I gained an immense amount of knowledge from he program. Despite being Mexican American and having been to my state of Jalisco, the culture in Oaxaca is like no other. We hear so much information about the border these days, but once you are there, standing looking at the wall in Arizona or the families crossing from Guatemala, you form a completely new understanding for the topic of immigration and respect for migrants themselves.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Coming from a pretty heavy workload, I was able to manage the programs rigor and intensity! The professors were very aware that we were adjusting and there was a lot to see and do, that extensions were given if necessary. I mostly enjoyed that they made being new to the culture part of our assignments, which blended both the academics and the social aspects together nicely. If you manage your time wisely, which often times is not hard to do, you won't have to worry! The culture of the program and Ollin is one to enjoy. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration did a lot for us! There were many circumstances where they had a lot on their plate, but they managed to push through and still be great helps despite it all. They were great people for any sort of questions: things to see and do recs, food recs, where to buy certain things, and many many conversations. Despite coordinators and staff being administration and the authority figure, I never feared being judged for my questions or not being professional, which made being away from friends and family a much much smoother transition. You will be abroad all semester so it's important to be open and get comfortable! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The best of the best! I loved my host family and they are the most accommodating to any of your worries! This was one of the aspects I was most worried about, but my first day there, those worries fully disappeared. All my friends and their host families were always open to visiting each other, which made it all a very special bonding experience. |
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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? |
I'm pretty susceptible to getting sick when I travel, which was another one of my worried, but the program was a great support. My host mom changed my diet, took me to the doctors, and checked up on me quite often and overall made it possible for a quick recovery! The staff were also involved, updating me on assignments if needed and checking up on how I was! You won't be forgotten! |
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| 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) |
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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? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
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? | Being open to being uncomfortable. You will see a lot of heavy sights, but it's about learning and keeping in mind you can't change the world, but are making steps by being in the program |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
