Emily in Paris? No! Emily in Ecuador! May 14, 2023
By Emily M (Environmental Science, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/08/2023 to 05/05/2023 with
IES Abroad: Galápagos Islands Direct Enrollment - GAIAS
I became more grounded! I learned how to live a simpler life in the Galapagos and I wouldn't give that up for anything!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I think this program was enriching in the sense that the classes were courses that I wanted to take, while they weren't challenging or that rigorous compared to my home University, I feel like I was able to take away more from them as they were stress free classes. My professors emphasised learning rather than grades and I think that was really beneficial for my overall enjoyment of the program. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I think the University of San Fransico de Quito has some very good and helpful office staff! My only issue is that they're a little understaffed in the Galapagos which made is very challenging sometimes to work with the university there. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host families were very sweet in Ecuador! I had a great experience with both of my host moms during my trip and I felt like a part of the family. |
| * Food: |
I didn't love Ecuadorian food while I was there as much as I thought I would. I was at first really unimpressed with it in the highland region, but as I went to the Galapagos, I noticed there was so much flavor and diversity in food! I think something that was challenging about the Galapagos however is the fact that the island is very food insecure, sometimes I would have breakfasts or dinners that were not nutritionally dense or very enriching. The program should do a better job of informing students of this food insecurity on the island. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
In the Galapagos I felt very included in the culture! |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare in Quito was pretty good, I was able to go to the doctors and get medicine for my stomach issues there very easily! I thought they were professional and pretty standard. I did find the healthcare in the Galapagos to be AWFUL. They think everything is fixable with a mystery shot in the butt, 0/10. |
| * Safety: |
Quito was not the safest city, but my family did a good job to warn me and keep me safe in the city. The safety in the Galapagos was great! I was able to walk home at night with a friend and not feel in danger! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program shows students the beauty and diversity of the natural landscape in Ecuador! While there were times when I wish I had just done the Quito program, I think I got more out of the Galapagos program because I was able to grow a lot more as a person. While I have always loved nature, I used to consider myself more of a city girl. off having never hiked and now I love exploring the natural areas around me. I got to see and experience so much more than the Quito direct enrollment students just because my classes were so different. I wish I was able to take classes with local students, but the timeline didn't work that way. |
Finances
|
* 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) |
I do prefer to spend more money on food and experiences than most people and I found that Ecuador was a very budget-friendly place to live for a few months! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent probably $50-$75 a week on food and activities |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The most important thing to have for studying abroad is a fat savings account! Since high school, I had been saving up to do something like this and felt very secure in my finances abroad. I think the biggest piece of advice I have for studying abroad is to save money from internships and summer jobs! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The program has no language requirement which I think is really stupid. How do you expect students to go to Ecuador without knowing Spanish?! Fortunately, I love to speak Spanish, so I was able to communicate with my host family really well, but there were students in my program who had no knowledge of Spanish who really struggled. I think language learning should be emphasized some more on this program because there are not many people that speak English in Ecuador. Lots of students who had no experience speaking Spanish were placed with families that didn't speak English. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Brandeis has a different requirement, they require 3 semesters of language. I completed two Spanish seminar classes before coming abroad. |
| 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? | I think finding local friends is the best way to practice the language! |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew the vocabulary to help me out in the Hospital! We has Spanish refresher courses a week before classes started and they didn't teach us anything helpful! They were easier than my Spanish classes at my home University and I felt like the Advanced and Intermediate courses wasted my time by not teaching anything helpful. You don't need to know what the past subjunctive tense is when you have food poisoning! |
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.' |
