Puebla Changed my Life! Past Review
By Shayna N (Social Studies Education, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) for
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse: Puebla - Puebla Internship Program
Complete worthwhile. I learned so much and I plan on visiting again next summer.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | N/A |
| 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. |
Well, it was directly through La Crosse, not through a host university, so pretty much everything was the same. The workload was really light, and the majority of my credits came from doing things around the city, not from actual homework. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Well, I was the only one in my program, so I got a lot of attention focusing on whether my needs were met, etc. I thought everything ran pretty smoothly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved where I lived. I got to live in an apartment with my program director and some local students for half of the program and with a host family for the other half. |
| * Food: |
IT WAS SO GOOD!!! It was the first time I enjoyed eating vegetables. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everything was wonderful. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt pretty safe, though I never traveled by myself. I needed just a few vaccines to get through, but I never got sick. |
| 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? | Not that much. Pretty much everything was provided for. Maybe around $20 each week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just watch your wallet, keep track of what you spend. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPA 331 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I lived with people that knew very little to no English, so I practiced my Spanish everyday. I was forced to use all my knowledge of Spanish, which was a good thing, because my language skills really improved. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Just go for it. |
