Nicaragua Service Learning Past Review
By Gisella T (Psychology and Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies, SUNY - Binghamton) for
Study Abroad Programs in Nicaragua
Going abroad to Nicaragua was an amazing self growing experience and it made me realize that there is so much we can do to better the lives of others by making even the smallest effort possible. I remembered how to be humble and grateful for all I have and become more selfless, definitely an experience everyone would should have at least once in their life if possible.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was a very interesting educational experience because it was more hands-on as opposed to reading books and being tested on the material you reviewed for a couple of weeks. This experience was also more personal in the sense that instead of reading "People were massacred on ---sq." You would learn "University students were massacred on this corner...30 years ago" and information like that is mind-blowing and has a longer lasting effect given you have a connection to what you just learned by being there. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It was a great learning experience both personally and academically. The group of students that went was small enough so it was easy to get to know each other in a short period of time while there, but still big enough to be very diverse. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
UNAN Leon <br /><br /> The housing was cool because when we were at the international student dorms we were able to meet other students from other countries also visiting Nicaragua. The security guards were really friendly and hospitable and made us feel right at home. When we stayed at the hostel we met even more travelers which was also pretty cool. |
| * Food: |
I personally do not have any food allergies and I am not a picky eater so for me the food provided was great and met all my expectations. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Meeting with certain families and just hanging out and playing soccer and other games with the kids of the family was something that I found to be pretty cool and interesting because it made our contribution in the country that much more personal. Going out to dinner or any other places with some of the people we met there was also pretty cool because it gave us a chance to continue conversing and learn more about each other and our backgrounds. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Regarding safety I feel that a lot of things we deal with as human beings require us to use some common sense. We are all grown young adults and we should all know how to go about things with respect and cautions. We were never placed in any situation of danger. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Food was taken care of with the trip payment, but the budget was about $5 per meal. I took $50 of personal money to get gifts and things for my family and friends but did not use it all. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | We decided to get a gift as a group for everyone that was involved in making the trip possible. Everyone had agreed to this beforehand but we did not put money up early on in the trip so at the last minute it was difficult to get some people to pay their part of a gift. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be open and ready to accept and embrace new and different things that you may never have experienced before because it is all worth it and a once in a lifetime experience. |
