Not what I expected, but the Lord provided in Ecuador Past Review
By Derrick M (Spanish Language and Literature., Presbyterian College) for
University of Minnesota: MSID - International Development in Ecuador
I've gained a lot of conversation Spanish practice and even the confidence to enter into a conversation, which I did not have before this. No plans are changed because I don't really have any plans.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
With the type of work that we were expected to do, the program could have been extremely difficult. There was a ton of "required" reading, several essays, and many presentations to give. But the quality of work that was expected was very low, which made it great to not have to kill myself over academics while I was there, and I was able to enjoy the experience as a whole. The final 20-page paper was for sure a challenge, but I got through it! |
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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 love my host family. I was rather far from my school but it was ok, as a ride was provided to and from school for the most part. For most of the trip I was treated as a family member. |
| * Food: |
Crepes and Waffles ice cream on 3rd floor of Quicentro mall!!! (check out the brownie, avellana, and old style flavors) Otherwise, Ecuadorian food is very flavorful, but with my family I was fed a lot of the same things over and over. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Nothing really stands out that was planned by the program, but I loved getting involved in two great church bodies while abroad, one English-speaking congregation and one Spanish-speaking congregation. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Quito is not very safe at all...many people from my program were robbed and/or pick-pocketed. |
| 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? | Weekly probably between $50 and $100, excluding when I would buy gifts for people back home. Much of this was spent on transportation and food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | N/A |
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? | Introduction to Literary Genres in Spanish |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I had to use Spanish in everyday interactions. Many people knew some English, but most didn't know enough to contribute to a conversation in English. |
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? | Think about whether you would like interaction with native students...if so, which I think would be awesome, this program isn't for you. But I think as well the program is what you make of it, and a lot is about who you're with. My experience isn't summed up by the academics or the structure of the program itself but my outside experiences and friends I gained. |
