Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Chile: The Best Summer of My Life Past Review

By (Spanish Education, University of Northern Iowa) for

University of Northern Iowa: Arica - UNI Culture and Intensive Spanish Program in Arica

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I have learned to always adapt to the culture. If you don't adapt, you won't enjoy your experience. You also learn to appreciate what you have back at home.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The conversation partners were a good idea. I think they need to try to make more partners to be of the same gender, if possible. Our university was taken over by students for a protest, so we were not able to have classes at the actual university. I felt like this made our experience less enjoyable. We did not get as much of a interaction as what I wanted because of it. Overall though, I would still recommend the 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?

* Safety:

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

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

I practiced Spanish with my host family, classmates, conversation partner, Chileans, and professors. I had to use Spanish in every day interactions. My classmates, conversation partners, and sometimes professors (when we didn't understand) spoke English.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Be prepared to study abroad. Make sure that you are ready to adapt to a different culture and life style. Students majoring or minoring in Spanish would benefit from the program.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Cultura Hispanoamericana
Course Department:
Instructor: Gomez/Guillen
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Yes, the class was challenging. Especially since it was in Spanish. The professors were very helpful and were always well-prepared. The field trips were very interesting. I enjoyed them and thought they were very educational. I participated the same as I would in my home institution.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Espanol Escrito
Course Department:
Instructor: Monica Neira
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: The class was very challenging. It was also, a good review for me. Everything in class was a good use of time. This class was my favorite and would highly recommend the instructor. She was very well-prepared and helped out so much. I participated the same as I would at my home institution.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Literatura Hispanoamericana
Course Department:
Instructor: Miria Luque
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This class was probably the most challenging for me. The material was really hard, but once our professor realized it she helped out a lot more. Her assistant was very helpful. The field trip for the class was very fun. I participated the same as I would in my home institution.
Credit Transfer Issues: