Academic adventure every single second of every single day Past Review

By (Georgia Institute of Technology) - abroad from 05/21/2016 to 06/01/2016 with

The GREEN Program: Peru - Water Resource Management & Sustainable Practices

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a new understanding of the challenges facing Peru because of climate change, giving me renewed passion for my field of study (civil engineering) and renewed energy to help create more sustainable communities in my own city. This program gave me the tools and network that will help me continue the goals set forth by the GREEN Program for the rest of my career and life.

Review Photos

The GREEN Program: Peru - 10-Day Summer Break: Water Resource Management & Sustainable Practices Photo The GREEN Program: Peru - 10-Day Summer Break: Water Resource Management & Sustainable Practices Photo The GREEN Program: Peru - 10-Day Summer Break: Water Resource Management & Sustainable Practices Photo The GREEN Program: Peru - 10-Day Summer Break: Water Resource Management & Sustainable Practices Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The professor at USIL, Dr. Ortega, was extremely enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeable. I liked that the classes hit key environmental topics such as climate change, biological diversity, and pollution issues but still included discussions on social and economic issues and how those effect environmental sustainability. The opportunities for hands-on learning went above and beyond my expectations, with tours of modern hydroelectric facilities and wastewater treatment plants as well as visits to historic homes and museums. I was really excited to work on the capstone portion of the study abroad experience and it was exciting to be inspired for our projects by the things we experienced throughout our travels. However, I would have liked more structured discussion time to integrate the capstone experience into the entire trip and not so concentrated at the end.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Our trip was an anomaly with many of us who got sick at the very end of the program. But our tour guide, the host university administration, and the GREEN Program staff handled the situation very well and got everyone in and out of the clinic at no charge to us as students and onto our flights on time.

* Safety:

In terms of personal safety, Cuzco felt very safe, especially since we traveled in a group the whole time. The only thing to watch out for is to take the advice of your tour guide and program leader seriously: reapply sunscreen and DON'T DRINK THE WATER. Don't even purify it. Just buy bottled water. Seriously.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

This program was exactly what I was looking for in a study abroad experience. It had an academic focus that brought together students from different universities to learn about the environmental issues facing Peru and the rest of the world and gave us tools and resources we could bring home to our own communities to make them more sustainable. It incorporated not just the topic of water resources management, which I plan to purse as a career, but also history, culture, and fun. There was an environment of constant learning that challenged us physically and mentally.

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)

This program is great because you pay the fee ahead of time and do not have to worry about any spending while abroad, except for purchases you wish to make and bring home to friends and family (which was really inexpensive!). However, the accommodations definitely seemed like a luxury for college students. If you can afford the initial cost of the program, it can't be beat.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $15
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Learn some Spanish so you can haggle in the markets.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Everything was planned, and I could just experience and observe and learn.
  • Professor Oscar Ortega and his lessons on water management and environmental issues in Peru
  • The exclusive access to facilities and community leaders.
* What could be improved?
  • Further integration of the capstone project from start to finish.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Forming close relationships with your fellow students and with your GREEN ambassadors and staff is up to you. Go outside your comfort zone and be outgoing.