Not your typical European study abroad experience Past Review
By A student (Temple University) - abroad from 01/22/2016 to 05/14/2016 with
Arcadia: Havana - University of Havana
A deeper understanding of social-economical systems. Good/life-long friends. Confidence. Surprisingly, my Spanish did not improve as much as I hoped.
Personal Information
| 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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Elena-the program advisor, is outstanding! Sometimes she acts more like a friend than playing the part of the mother, and sometimes vice-versa. Take advantage of her recommendations! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Fabulous casa particular to stay in with everything taken care of for you (cooking, laundry, etc.) A perfect balance between the cultural value of a homestay and the freedom of having your own apartment. You get to know everyone on your program really well. |
| * Food: |
Barbarita, the cook at our casa is the sweetest abuelita you'll ever meet. Get on her good side! When Lorenzo cooks, you get a break from Cuban food for equally as delicious Spanish food. Around town, most of the food is very cheap (a jamon y queso sandwich for a couple cents). Lots of good eating spots near the university. Advice: stick to Cuban food. The "chinese food" and "persian" food you might try there are nowhere near the authenticity of what you might be used to are often over-salted because they don't have access to the right ingredients. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone is so welcoming and nice. Millions of opportunities to integrate into your community. Take time to travel outside of Vedado and see the diversity in neighborhoods and lifestyles. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Admin. takes a lot of care to ensure safety at the casa with a guard stationed in front of the house every night. Cuba is actually much more safe than the US in some ways. That being said, experiencing Cuba as a woman can be draining as the street harassment is very tough; you might never get used to it. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Life changing. Can't wait to go back. |
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) |
Being privileged as a foreigner in Cuba with a carne´ (residential ID) allows discounted pricing and everything is very cheap. You can spend $20 at the fanciest restaurant to less than $1 at someone's make-shift counter. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Not sure. Bring $2200 for 4 months. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Familiarize yourself with the dual-currency system BEFORE you go so you aren't surprised. Pack Canadian dollars to exchange, as the rate is cheaper than USD. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The only times I spoke English were with my housemates and fellow-foreign friends. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | Advanced |
| 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? | Be prepared to train your ear to "Cubañol" |
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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| 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? |
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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? | I wish I understood the (in-person) registration process. I visited over 8 different classes and felt a bit discouraged by my course options and regretted some of the classes I chose. Advice: don't choose classes in the FLEX facultad because you will be in classes with only foreigners and probably one below your level! Last piece of advice: don't choose this program if you are looking for a traditional study abroad experience that your friends are doing where you live in a European city with modern conveniences/technologies and are able to travel to any other city! Cuba is NOT like that! This is one of the most beautiful, special, multi-cultural, hidden, under-valued countries in the world and if you choose to go there, take every opportunity you can! Because the Cuba you see today will not be there for very long. |
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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Cuban-US Relations |
| Course Department: | CEHSEU |
| Instructor: | Dr. Ernesto Dominguez López, Dr. Olga |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Challenging because of the way it was taught. Informational field trip to Playa Giron mid-semester. Advice: choose a research topic that interests you! |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Nope! |
