Stressful but enlightening. Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 03/13/2017 to 07/01/2017 with

Andres Bello National University: Santiago - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I gained lots of nursing skills, dealing with patients in a professional capacity mostly, also I learned a lot about my ability to deal with stress and what kinds of things tend to stress me out. I learned a lot about Chilean history and culture as well.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	It could be very intense sometimes, but overall I learned a lot and grew as a person.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I definitely recommend the year long program, although I didn't have time with my credits.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I caught a respiratory infection while I was there and had no issues navigating the system. I had to go to a private clinic and get prescription medications, but my host family helped me with all of it.
* Safety:	As long as you are aware and are careful there shouldn't be too many problems. There have been various students robbed though.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes While it was very challenging at times, the knowledge and skills and personal revelations I had during the experience made it mostly worth it.

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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Not much, just food that I wanted to buy, my host family always had food, snacks, or meals that I could take to class if I needed.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Make sure you get your visa before you got so you can get your carnet, your student ID, and your RUT when you get there and save money on the buses. Walk when possible. Ask host family or friends about where to find stuff cheapest.

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
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?	low 300's
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?	Use all the resources available to you as early as possible. Find native speakers to talk with, read books, read things aloud, listen to the radio of the country you're going to. Study vocabulary that you don't use often.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students International Students
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?	Host Family History/Culture Lessons Practical applications of skills learned
* What could be improved?	Transportation Education There were a lot of surprise costs Responsiveness to emails
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	The unexpected costs: scrubs, shoes, projects, etc.

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 Linguist You 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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Enfermería en el Ciclo Vital
Course Department:	Enfermería
Instructor:	Solange Godoy Godoy
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Salud Pública
Course Department:	Enfermería
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Fisiología
Course Department:	Enfermería
Instructor:	Nelson
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Linguistic and Cultural Competence
Course Department:	Middlebury College
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Enfermería en la Promoción y Prevención de Salud
Course Department:	Enfermería
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Spansh
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues: