The Adventure of a Lifetime! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The program and courses offered were wonderful, although a few lectures were dry at times. However, I wish we had had the opportunity to learn more Quechua, because it would have been very useful on Taquile. I also feel like some students didn't receive sufficient support for their ISPs.

On-site administration of your program

The program staff were wonderful. Julia, Pati, Mily, and Alex were always very supportive, and I felt I could talk to them about whatever I needed to. They were also very interested in our feedback for the continuous improvement of the program. I absolutely adore Mily, who was like a mother to me and the other students. She is lively and energetic, and always has a smile on her face. She is the kind of person who will brighten your day.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my host family! I lived 5 minutes from the school, and had a mother and host brother. I don't eat a lot of gluten, rice, or potatoes, and my host mom was very accommodating with the food she made. I always felt safe in my house, and truly felt like a part of their family. The homestay experience was one of the highlights of my program.

The food that my mother made for me was delicious. That being said, the Peruvian diet is comprised of a lot of carbs (namely white rice and many of the 4,000+ varieties of potato) and meat, which is not what I am accustomed to eating. I love salads and fresh vegetables which isn't possible in many regions of Peru due to the fact that the water isn't potable. What I found to work for me was being flexible, and looking at my new diet as part of the study abroad cultural experience. I loved the variety of fresh fruit, and the cafes are full of delicious empanadas, pies, cakes, and other sweet and savory treats. The more open you are to eating differently than you might back home, the better off you will be.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very integrated into Peruvian culture during my program. Initially, my host family was my primary connection. They were always speaking to me in Spanish, and I would spend some afternoons chatting in the kitchen with my mom and learning how to make local dishes. After 2 weeks I met my then-boyfriend when our whole group went out in the Plaza de Armas. We ended up dating for the entirety of the program, and he was definitely someone who taught me a lot about the culture. I spent time with him at the club where he worked, helping to set up in the evenings. It was there that I learned how to dance salsa and bachata with the employees, who were all very friendly. He also took me to restaurants and overlooks of Cusco that weren't very touristy. I felt like I really got a different view of the city by spending time with him, and am grateful I experienced another perspective. Even though my situation was unique, I know that the more engaged you are and the more you want to take part in the culture, the more successful you will be in that regard. Peruvians are very friendly and interested in sharing their culture with foreigners, so all it takes is a little effort from your side and you will be surprised how much you learn.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had any personal health problems during the program, except for a minor cold. If you are open to traditional medicine, you can find a variety of natural remedies for all sorts of things. The SIT staff also provided us with many basic medications (motion sickness pills, advil, etc.) for minor health issues. In order to go on the program, there are a variety of recommended vaccines. If you are someone who hasn't been vaccinated for moral and/or religious reasons, you can waive all but the yellow fever vaccine. That is required by the Peruvian government for all persons who enter the Amazon, which is one of the educational excursions.

Cusco is a relatively safe city to begin with, and the neighborhood of Magisterio where almost all the host families are located is one of the nicest and safest of all. That being said, no city is perfect. I never had any problems, and even felt safe walking home at night. However, things to watch out for are: stray dogs, which are everywhere and if you are scared of dogs be sure to give them space, and dark alleys when you are alone or walking at night. These things could apply to almost any city. One piece of advice is to make sure that you walk each other home at night after going out (this especially applies to girls). Nothing bad ever happened to people on my program, but things have happened to other students in the past who weren't thinking and decided to walk home alone in a notoriously unsafe area. One more thing to be aware of is your personal belongings (i.e. backpacks, purses, etc.) People are very good at pick-pocketing without you noticing. This is especially common in crowded markets or on the combi, and being a foreigner makes you a target.

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

It was very easy to live on a student budget. If you didn't want to spend much money, you really don't have to. I ended up at cafés a lot to do work since they always have wifi. That was the majority of my spending, since you can't sit there for free. However, one of my favorite cafés had chocolate croissants for 1 sole (about 40 cents), so budgeting isn't terribly difficult!

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

If someone who was Peruvian was around, we were required to speak Spanish. That included our staff, so we spoke Spanish a lot!

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Hotel
• Hostel

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Americans

• The homestay
• Traveling around the country
• The staff

• The support for the ISP
• More Quechua classes

The Academic or Linguist