The homestay made me feel much safer Past Review
By Madeline W (Economics And Spanish, Wellesley College) for
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla / BUAP: Puebla - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Very worthwhile. I have much respect and admiration for Mexico's rich culture and people after this program.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | BUAP |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2010 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I found that learning through the classes at the university depended upon how much effort I put into it. Many of my classmates got away without doing much of the readings, but since I wanted to learn the subject I usually read ahead for all of the classes. The professors generally came prepared to classes, but some took the class more seriously than others. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was very well administered. Whenever I had a question/concern/problem, there was an almost immediate resolution or at least response. The program itself was an excellent balance of helping the foreign students adjust to Mexico and giving us freedom to explore on our own. I felt comfortable with all of the staff members and looked to them as both mentors and friends by the end of the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a Mexican host family: a mom, a dad and their 27-year old daughter. I had a room of my own and shared a bathroom with the daughter. The house was well equipped with all the necessities and they provided me with three meals a day. When I went to class and didn't have time to return for lunch in the middle of the day, the host mom simply prepared a packed lunch for me. <br /><br /> My only complaint is that, especially toward the end of the program, my host family included me less and less in their daily activities. I had hoped to be fully integrated and feel like a member of their family. |
| * Food: |
The food was healthy and tasty and they generally followed my eating preferences. Sometimes the food was a bit repetitive, however. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
A very balanced program that truly allowed me to understand Mexican culture and society from an intimate level. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Despite Mexico's reputation as being an unsafe country, I usually felt safe going about on my own. Safety concerns didn't impede me from doing anything that I would have done otherwise. |
| 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? | I hardly spent any of my own money because most of it was provided by the program. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure to have adequate funds in a bank account and know how to access those funds. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most of my language improvement came from daily interactions with my Mexican classmates and host family; in that sense, my oral Spanish capabilities improved drastically. My written and reading comprehension also improved via classroom assignments and side readings. I hardly had any interaction with Americans and the only times that I ever spoke in English were during Skype chats with family and friends back home. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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