A fantastic experience in Peru Past Review
By Eleanor H (International Relations and Affairs., The College of William and Mary) for
Study Abroad Programs in Peru
Highly worthwhile. I gained so much cultural awareness, both of Peru and the US, and also learned a lot about myself. A fantastic experience. I will absolutely return to Cusco, either to work or study or volunteer.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Centro Bartolome de las Casas (CBC) |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Simply being in a foreign country taking classes is an incredibly educational experience. While the academic workload was not at all difficult, the material taught was very relevant and engaging, taught by local Peruvian professors who are well experienced in their field of study and very open to offer help and extra information. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Had a fantastic experience, but was a little disappointed by the poor communication of the ProWorld office. The staff members were incredibly nice, and were as helpful as possible, but in many cases did not have enough information in a specific area to contribute to questions of trip planning, etc. Despite poor communication, I had an absolutely fantastic time because of the homestay and the wonderful class experience. I highly recommend the place and the homestay aspect, and I recommend the organization overall expect for the organization issues. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was extremely nervous about the homestay at the beginning of the trip, and actually felt somewhat uncomfortable for the first few days. By the end of the trip, however, the homestay was absolutely my favorite part about the whole experience. My host family was wonderful, and I could not believe their generosity in taking me in. I will absolutely be returning to Cusco in the future simply to see them. I highly recommend staying in a homestay--it can be intimidating at first, but the rewards are overwhelming. |
| * Food: |
Peruvian food on the whole is only mediocre--a lot of meat, rice and potatoes. However, there was always lots of food (usually way to much) very sweetly prepared by my host mother, and much of it very good. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Very memorable weekend trips, although the program did not organize our trip to Machu Picchu or Lake Titicaca. We had to do that on our own. However, the service learning component proved fantastic. Although the service projects were sometimes last-minute, the service aspect proved crucial to my time there by teaching me about myself and the area and allowing me to give back to the community. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
|
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Although everything is inexpensive, money goes faster than one would think, especially on transportation, gifts, and eating out or going out. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | HISP 305 (Advanced Grammar and Composition) |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
|
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | A fantastic location with a good study program--not too rigorous but certainly educational. Absolutely loved the homestay aspect, and the fact that I was in close contact with other American students as well: we became great friends. The organization itself has some communication and organization issues, but I absolutely loved the service-learning component. |
