The Best Week of My Life! Past Review
By Madison Ley (Eastern Illinois University) - abroad from 03/10/2018 to 03/18/2018 with
Eastern Illinois University (EIU): Antigua - Spring Break in Guatemala
I gained an appreciation for other cultures and languages. This trip made me realize how different my life is than other peoples. It was definitely worthwhile, and I would love to go back.
Review Photos
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. |
This trip provided me with the opportunity to work with a tutor one-on-one to improve my Spanish. This trip helped me to feel a lot more comfortable with my speaking abilities. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The school in Guatemala that we worked with was amazing! On the first day we arrived, they provided us with a nice variety of snacks and made sure we felt comfortable. They were very accommodating and friendly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Getting to stay with a host family was a great experience. It gave me the opportunity to see how other people live. It also gave me an opportunity to practice my Spanish even more! |
| * Food: |
I am not a picky eater, so I really enjoyed getting to try new foods! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt extremely integrated with the local culture during my time in Guatemala. We were allowed to explore Antigua during the day, which was a lot of fun and a good learning experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Our teachers made it very clear that if we felt sick or had any issues, they were there to help us. |
| * Safety: |
Overall, I felt safe during this trip. The only time I felt a little uneasy was walking back to our homestays past 10pm. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program was the perfect length. We were able to do so much, and also learn so much in a short amount of time. I had such a blast with the students I traveled with. I also really enjoyed getting to know my teacher that I worked with in Guatemala. |
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) |
It was very easy to live on a student's budget. During the whole trip, I only spent 200 US dollars on food and souvenirs. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200 US dollars |
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 |
We were always encouraged to use Spanish because we were there to learn the language! During the lesson with my teacher, we only spoke in Spanish because she did not know English. |
| 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? | Intermediate Spanish |
| 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 speak the language! It can be intimidating to talk with native speakers, but it is the BEST way to learn a language. |
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 had known to pack more weather appropriate clothes. |
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! |
