Nicaragua! Past Review
By A student (Social Work., University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 06/06/2012 to 06/20/2012 with
University of Northern Iowa: Managua - UNI Winter Capstone Socio-Economic Reality of Nicaragua
Wish I could have had more freedom to experience the culture and have more fun
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. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
At the end before we checked out the prices were outrageous and I'm pretty sure we got ripped off by the hotel Cesar. A lot of times our water didn't run out of the shower or toilet did not flush. |
| * Food: |
I loved the food in Nicaragua!! |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I feel like I really tried to integrate myself in the culture through the food, music, and language, but most others did not. I feel like I wanted more opportunities to interact with the people. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got pretty sick a few days after I was there, as in stomach problems, and was also sick for a month after returning. I was supposed to be given a medicine for it before I went by the UNI pharmacy, but I did not receive it, but most other students did. |
| * Safety: |
With the Uni staff and students I felt safe. However, we were not allowed to leave our hotel or be out after 5pm in Managua. I understood for our safety, but it was boring because of that. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
|
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) |
Eating out was the most expensive part. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Bring a lot of snacks or dried food if possible, because eating out two times a day can really add up |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Not many of the students knew any Spanish going and our teacher barely did either so we had 3 translators. I really tried to speak Spanish a lot, most of the time and tried teaching others, but they did not care to learn. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | AP Spanish in high school |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Do a refresher course or go through a English to Spanish dictionary and copy common and frequently used words, make a list, and practice those. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That it was so strict |
