SFS Baja, Mexico: The Best Semester of My Life Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

At times, the workload seemed more than what I would have had at school, but it should be noted that we had class six days a week. We used to complain sometimes that we had no free time, but in the end, would you rather choose free time or going to collect octopuses or doing whale identification out in the Pacific Ocean?! So less free time it was, and ultimately, being so busy was definitely worth it.

On-site administration of your program

Our on-site administrator was very knowledgeable of the town where we were living and what was offered there as well as being generally knowledgeable of Mexico as a whole when it came time for Spring Break and we had to make our own travel arrangements. At times, we felt constricted in what we were able to do as there were certain strict safety policies, but we as a group readily acknowledged that these precautions were in place for safety reasons.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We lived in three-person cabanas located on stilts in the sand. Our beds were lofted and we had thatched roofs, they were awesome and I miss my cabana and my roommates very much!

Being a vegetarian, sometimes it was hard to have options that didn't contain meat products but the cooks were always very accommodating to make entrees without meat and the staff would ask us every week for a grocery list of what we wanted.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The whale festival was a highlight of the semester as not only did the whole town come together, but many people from far away. Additionally, whenever we went camping, often for weeks at a time, was so much fun. We were used to not being able to talk on the phone or watch television, but there's something about being outside all the time and hanging out with everyone that makes it that much more fun. I loved everyone in my group and our group dynamic as a whole.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Not once did I feel unsafe while abroad in Mexico. I know certain safety dangers are highlighted in the news constantly about Mexico, but that never deterred me from participating in this program. While I know certain areas of Mexico are unsafe, I thought the town where we were living was a nice community and I was deeply saddened when I returned from Mexico and found out that the SFS Mexico program would no longer be offered.

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

I could practice the Spanish language with all of the staff members at our field station as well as with countless townspeople. In fact, for my Directed Research project I interviewed more than 40 townspeople entirely in Spanish which allowed me to not only better understand the Mexican people and their culture, but allowed them as well to see how much I cherish their culture and how hard I was working to be able to interact and share experiences with them.

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• Other

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• Americans

• The opportunities it afforded me to interact with wildlife.

• Living conditions.