Nicaragua: Push yourself and learn Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The course was the maximum workload I could have handled after days at the Emergency Room. I had an incredible time working at the hospital but as anyone will tell you, I was completely drained of energy afterwards. The workload was the perfect amount for the 2 credit course. I don't know my grade yet but I spent hours perfecting my paper. A helpful suggestion would be to post the assignment for the essay somewhere in my courses.geneseo because I had to return to the campus professor twice to understand the assignment and what exactly the professor was asking for.

On-site administration of your program

I LOVE NICARAGUA. I can't make it any more clear than that. This program is for people looking to challenge themselves, to see life through other eyes, and to be a part of something bigger than themselves. That's what I was looking for and that's exactly what I found and more. I fell in love with the good and bad of the culture. Freezing bucket showers to hours on horseback. It all challenged me but it all made me a better stronger person. I had the time of my life in El Sauce. My host family was so sweet I teared up when I had to leave after knowing them only 2 weeks. The ideal student for this trip is someone who's not afraid to get their hands dirty, who is easy going (enough to not care what they eat - beans and rice all day long) and a person who knows that the world does not revolve around their comfort and that they are staying in someone else's home. To fully embrace the experience, one must adapt to the culture, not change the culture to our American customs. That's probably the most important thing I learned.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Dirt floors are common. El Sauce was very safe but the men are very blatant with their whistling and shouting. Whether I was completely covered head to toe or in a long skirt and top, they never stopped. By the third day in El Sauce I didn't even notice it anymore. The cat-calls are never aggressive, they're a playful part of the culture. I have long blonde hair and just out of curiosity a man touched it once in El Sauce. This probably should have freaked me out more but I've been to the heart of Mexico every year since I was 12 and that happens there ALL the time. It's mostly just curiosity because there are no locals with blonde hair. People always stared at us all. We probably looked foreign to them. Like in anyplace, being a girl, I'd try to not walk alone at night. There was one instant in Leon (the city weekend getaway) where I was wearing a white sundress (I always wear shorts under my dresses and skirts) but this boy who had to be about 13-14 years old grabbed my skirt and lifted it up. I was walking with Yaci but I started laughing at the failed attempt. My friend there got picpocketed but we were warned by everyone in the town to watch out for pickpocketing at the carnival we went to. Overall the Nicaraguan people and your host families try to look out for you. You just have to be street smart like in any other city in America.

Gallo Pinto and arroz con frijoles is the same dish. I don't care if they are separated or mixed, it is rice with beans. Overall, the food was AWESOME. I don't know weather it was mostly because I was just always so wiped and hungry when I ate because I was always busy but I thought the food was amazing, well minus the rice and beans every meal.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Go to the beach at Leon

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

El SAuce is beautiful

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

I placed out of Spanish in here in Geneseo from high school. Like many students who were taught spanish to do well on the reagents, I could mostly only write and read. Speaking was stressful and forced. I spoke slowly and understood very little at the beginning of the trip. I was embarassed to make mistakes. After opening up to my host family (who didn't speak a word of english) and toting around a dictionary at all times, I could easily understand most jokes. There is a little bit of a deviation from the Spain spanish I learned in highschool and the Spanish they speak in el sauce. People don't pronounce their "s" as much as I was taught and sometimes not at all. A few key phrases are REQUIRED for understanding. "Dale pues" means OK then, and "Al la ordin" basically means "De Nada". I learned so much spanish there that if I was to go back for another month and worked on it, I could probably be somewhat fluent.

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• Hostel
• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Getting to know the people and the culture

• Just coordinating what could be improved