Best Semester of my College Career! Past Review
By A student (Public Health Administration, Indiana University - Bloomington) - abroad from 01/08/2008 to 04/25/2008 with
CIEE: Santiago - Liberal Arts, Dominican Republic
Learned a lot about Dominican and Haitian Culture. Improved my Spanish x100 while exploring a beautiful island. Learned a lot about my own culture and how it differed from others. Absolutely worthwhile!
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 |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living with a host family and interacting with the estudiantes de apoyo really helped with integration. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had experience with the school health clinic. I got an eye infection and was seen there and given a prescription to fill at the local pharmacy. Very easy and super cheap prescription. |
| * Safety: |
As long as you used basic common sense there wasn't any reason you should feel anything but safe. I always felt safe. |
| 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) |
Your host family feeds you and provides housing etc. So it is as expensive or cheap as you make it. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Budget. Its easy to get caught up in going out and eating out all the time. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 250 |
| 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? | Don't be afraid to mess up or make mistakes. |
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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| 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 would've taken a grammar class at IU or been at a little higher level of spanish before I went abroad. Also, I would've stayed for a year instead of a semester. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
