Peru Study/Volunteering Experience Past Review
By Alice W (Social Studies, Harvard University) for
Harvard University: Lima - DRCLAS in Peru: Spanish & Service Learning
yes
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. |
workload was very low, students were not too serious |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
program could have been a lot more organized, some of my emails were not answered |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
host family was awesome |
| * Food: |
food was awesome but emphasis on carbs and proteins |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
went to Machu Picchu on centennial; program could have done a lot more to facilitate trips; we had to plan most ourselves |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
two girls were bitten by dogs |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | figure out exchange fees of credit/debit cards before you go. they can add up. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none, but had taken 4 yrs of Spanish in high school |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
practiced Spanish mainly with host family, not very many Peruvians spoke English |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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