Mexico: Difficult Yet Fun Past Review
By Josh B (Spanish, Political Science, Hope College) for
CIEE: Guanajuato - Liberal Arts
I just gained an appreciation for a different style of life (relaxed) that i'm trying to incorporate into life here now.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Guanajuato |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes went well. Had a new teacher that didn't quite know what to do, but that's not reflective of others experience. Expect a lot of disorganization though as Mexican culture is more lenient. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
i have no real complaints about the program. every need i had was met rather easily. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
no issue with food here. vegetarians will have a bit of an issue in the public area, but almost always there were vegetarian alternatives. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
field trip to mexico city was a lot of fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
very safe city, don't be alone at night though. Never had any issues though. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | i was well aware of wha.t i was getting into. nothing too unexpected |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
talk with your host families, make friends, etc. No one spoke english, so it is necessary at all times. |
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 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? | make sure you know spanish going into this program beforehand, be prepared for people to be far more easy going and slow paced. |
