Fantastic Winter Study Abroad course in Havana, Cuba Past Review
By Jake Levin (CUNY - Brooklyn College) - abroad from 01/01/2016 to 02/01/2016 with
SSA Education Abroad: Havana - Semester, Year or Summer in Cuba
It was absolutely worthwhile. I made long-lasting connections with Cubans and with Cuban history, politics, and economics, and learned enough about the country to enable further academic study.
Review Photos
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. |
Fantastic. Course was challenging, interesting, and small. Really a wonderful Spanish course. |
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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? |
Housing was fantastic. We stayed with a Cuban family who cooked us breakfast and dinner and even called us with concern if we were out late. It was fantastic. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It's difficult to integrate into Cuban society as a foreigner, but we found nothing but warmth and welcome from the Cubanos we met and lived with. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not personally have an issue with healthcare, but a close friend did. The program's administrator, Tom Millington, stayed through the night with the sick student and was attentive, diligent, and helpful. |
| * Safety: |
Never felt anything but safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
From the food to the program administration to the fellow students, I wholeheartedly recommend this program. |
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) |
Cuba is a very inexpensive place to live and study. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent approximately $500 over 3.5 weeks. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Speak to locals and figure out the best place to get cheap bites! |
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 |
We were encouraged to use the language regularly. We lived with a family that spoke no English and very few shopkeepers, taxi drivers, or educators spoke anything other than Spanish. |
| 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? | Advanced Spanish III |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | The program does a fantastic job of preparing students for study abroad in Cuba. |
