A trip for fun, not for anyone who seriously wants to learn Past Review
By A student (University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 12/27/2014 to 01/09/2015 with
University of Northern Iowa: Managua - UNI Winter Capstone Socio-Economic Reality of Nicaragua
I learned that professionalism and communication with students is critical for building relationships and providing a safe learning environment. It was not worthwhile to feel like we were treated in a demeaning manner everyday by the professor.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The professor did not facilitate a reflective learning environment. Academic concerns were not taken seriously. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site administration was great, but the professor did not allow them to do their job. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We were not told of the basic living conditions ahead of time. There were rats and large spiders in our bedrooms. |
| * Food: |
We never went hungry. The food was great overall, but I would have liked to have eaten a more traditional Nicaraguan diet. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt like a tourist observing the culture, but not experiencing the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There were no serious health concerns on this trip, but when people were feeling under the weather, the professor was not sympathetic or understanding of how illness affected performance in daily activities. There was not much time for sleep on this trip, which left people crabby. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe on the program. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
Everything was very cheap in Nicaragua. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The only money you spend is on souvenirs, snacks, and beverages, so you control how much you spend. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That I was going to be barked at like we were dogs multiple times per day. That the professor was going to yell at us for asking reasonable questions, like, Where are we going today? What living conditions should we expect tonight? That the professor was not going to contribute to our overall understanding of the culture. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
