Living in Peru with ProPeru Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

All of my courses (Spanish language, Latin American Politics, Purivan Culture, Development Issues) were taught in Spanish by local professors who are enthusiastic to be working with US students and highly competent in their fields. For me, the classes were most challenging at first because they were in Spanish and I was still adjusting to speaking and hearing Spanish all the time in the classroom. The language challenges did not detract at from the content of the course, however, and professors worked to ensure students learned course material. Internet access in the school itself was slow and unreliable, but the ample and inexpensive internet centers throughout the city means that internet access is never a problem. The school's library was sufficient for our research assignments, and was just a different system logistically that took some getting used to. Classes are in no way a joke; attendance is required, there are assigned readings and periodic exams. That said, classes were manageable and it was easy to balance academics with the rest of experience of living in Cusco.

On-site administration of your program

The ProPeru house, where the offices are, is a nice place to spend time and staff members are available there. I never had any issues that required me to consult any of the staff. We saw them every week during our volunteer projects and throughout the week if we were at the house.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a house with a host-family. I had my own bedroom in the house and ate nearly all of my meals with the family. The house was in a beautiful, residential area of the city and about a 30-40 min walk (or 5 min taxi ride) to the central plaza. Cusco is small enough that getting anywhere within the city is never an issue, there are ample and inexpensive taxis and buses and it is safe explore the city by foot as well. Living with my host family was one of the best parts of my experience.

Delicious and plentiful.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Cusco is an incredible city-lots of nightlife, beautiful plazas, people from all over the world, Inkan ruins, colonial churches, markets, mountains, cafes.

I did not have any health issues while I was there and got the required vaccines before I left the U.S.

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

Since my classes were with other American students, there was the potential to speak a lot of English. However, having those classes taught in Spanish by professors who did not speak English to us forced me to use Spanish in the classroom. I used Spanish the most in my everyday interactions with my host family and friends from the area. My Spanish improved the most through everyday use. Many people in the city do speak English, especially in the touristy areas. However, Spanish (and Quechua) are more often heard in the non-touristy areas and it's necessary to speak Spanish in everyday interactions.

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