Peru: the adventure awaits, but its up to you to find it Past Review
By hunter r (Sociology., SUNY - College at Geneseo) for
SUNY Geneseo: Cusco - Spanish Language and Culture Studies
My study abroad experience put lots of elements of life in our global system into perspective and opened my eyes to many entirely new conditions and norms. Peaked my interest in possibly being an adventure guide.
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. |
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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? |
i stayed with a hostb family during my three months as a student and was also allowed to use their house as storage during a month of travelling. The family lived in a very safe neighborhood with local markets nearby and about 20 minutes walking distance from the school and center of the city. The family was very nice but also had many rules and certain amenities (internet, upstairs bathroom, television, oven, blender, etc.) off limits, which presented some hassels and made the relationship seem less like family equality and more like a guest or client. |
| * Food: |
peruvian food is very good, using many fresh and rich ingredients. my host mother was a fantastic cook. eating local is very cheap and of a comparable quality to more touristy locals. street food is delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
you will find countless worthwhile and meaningful experiences if you are not afraid of straying from the typical tourist path. hiked to many ruins and sacred sites around the sacred valley and elsewhere in Peru. helped the family of my quechua goddaughter till fields and plant potatoes on the island of taquile in lake titicaca. the cemetaries in cusco are a fascinating scene during day of the dead. there are inumerable discovered and undiscovered sites of both natural and manmade wonder in every part of this incredibly diverse country. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
cusco is a very safe city with lots of police, i have a friend who passed out in the main plaza and woke up the next morning with his blackberry, wallet, and evrything else of value still on his person. However it is best to not travel with too much money or a credit card on you if you can leave them at home and also i wouldnt flash lots of money because it is a lot more desired by locals who need it. I never experienced local healthcare but had to use antibiotics i brought from home. most everyone gets sick once. its good to strenghten your immune system. |
| 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? | i tried to limit myself to about $20 per day. worked out perfectly. if you try to cut costs while you can (especially while being fed by a host family) you will be able to splurge at the end of your trip and for unexpected opportunities. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Living independently would have been cheaper and would have offered a greater degree of freedom then living with a host family. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
all of the professors and faculty spoke exclusively spanish. the students spoke predominantly english. being able to speak spanish is necessary if you intend to travel or get a real sense of the culture, but it is possible to take exclusively english speaking tours, restaurants, and accomadations. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | We have much to learn from the ancient cultures that have existed here and what they have accomplished, and also from how our modern western capitalism is affecting these ancient ways of life and the mental, physical, and spiritual well being of the peruvian people. i would recomend this program to students with a respect for natural beauty and who are open to experiencing different ways of life and who are not afraid of challenging their own comfort limits and preexisting beliefs. |
