Such a great experience! Past Review
By Janet S (Occidental College) - abroad from 02/22/2015 to 06/05/2015 with
SIT Study Abroad: Peru - Indigenous Peoples and Globalization
My Spanish got better, I learned so much about indigenous rights, and I think most importantly the program challenged me to think differently about development and the way we view the earth and its resources in general. It was definitely worthwhile, and I'm positive this experience has impacted the future I envision for myself.
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. |
Had an absolutely incredible experience with the SIT program. Everything is just super hands on. Theres the regular reading and lectures (most of which I really enjoyed), but theres also so many excursions that allow you to really immerse yourself in the topic of indigenous rights, and the ISP period is a really good time to explore in-depth the topic that interests you most. Definitely would recommend the program to everyone! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Had an AMAZING home-stay family. Everyones homestay is different, but my family made me feel instantly welcome and I got to know them really well over the course of the semester. They were also a huge help when it came to figuring out directions or the way things worked, and my host dad loved talking to me about current events in Peru which I really appreciated. |
| * Food: |
All I can say is that my host mom is an AMAZING cook. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My host family helped with this a lot, but I will say that it can be a little bit harder to really get to know youth from around the area because all classes are with other students from the SIT program, but the opportunities to connect with people outside of the program do exist. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The staff and my host family were really good about keeping us generally aware of what was safe and how to prepare for all of our outings. For example we learned what kinds of taxis were safest to take. I'm happy to say that I don't feel that my safety was ever threatened in the 3 1/2 months I was in Peru. |
| 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) |
Everything is super affordable. Expenses were basically optional, because meals are included with your home-stay. Even if you do decide to go out, a meal is 30 soles tops- about 10 dollars. Taxis for transportation are also very affordable- 4-7 soles (a little over $1). |
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? | I wish that I had thought more about my ISP project beforehand so I could be more prepared for the ISP period and take full advantage of my time. |
