Not what I expected, but a lot of fun Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academic standards are different in Ecuador than in the United States. I would say they are generally less rigorous than the United States, but the types of assignments are different. I received assignments like "explain the colonial roots of a major present difference between Latin America and Anglo-America (the US and Canada)" or "develop an integrated economic development plan for Ecuador based on the material covered in class." Those assignments are both extremely broad and a truly satisfactory answer to either is out of the reach of most undergrads. However, the teachers' standards for the quality of those papers was significantly lower than those that the professors at Brandeis would have had. In many ways, the classes are much easier - most local students carry 7 courses without doing an unreasonable amount of work. IES requires you to carry 5 courses at USFQ, which I think is a good number. Part of the study abroad experience is getting to know the country in ways that can't be accomplished in a classroom, such as travel and spending time in the city you live in meeting people from outside the bubble of USFQ. That wouldn't be possible with a workload comparable to a top university in the States.

On-site administration of your program

The IES staff were always very on top of the situation. The office there moves at a pace somewhere between Ecuadorian and US speed, which makes it one of the faster organization that I've experienced in Ecuador. Gladys, Eduardo, and Rene were all incredibly supportive and I enjoyed getting to know them. In the USFQ program you won't have as much interaction with them as the Catolica/IES Center students, but they're there for you when you want to talk to them, and will check in on you from time to time.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family was good to me. We didn't have a very strong connection, but I had an easy time living there, and they always provided for me and let me go my own way.

Daily Ecuadorian food is bland, with lots of starch, but you can find all kinds of delicious food if you go looking for it. The seafood on the coast is almost always incredible. I'm a big fan of the menestras (beans) that are typical of most Ecuadorian almuerzos (lunches). If you're looking for a cheap, filling meal, you can almost always find it by walking into a restaurant and asking about their almuerzo - if you go to the right places, it should be only 3 or 4 dollars in Quito or 2 or 3 dollars in other parts of the country, and you'll usually get a soup to startand a main dish with rice, some beans, a small salad, and meat.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It helped that I had spent a gap year in Ecuador previously and that I was already fluent in Spanish. Like most study abroad programs, it will be very difficult to break out of the bubble of Americans. There are more than 100 International students, mostly Americans, at USFQ in any given semester, so you'll have to make an effort to get to know local students if you don't want to end up speaking a lot of English. The best way to do so is to speak Spanish early and often. Also, USFQ has a fantastic program called the Ecuabuddies where Ecuadorian students sign up to go on outings with international students. It's probably the best way to get to know Ecuadorian students at USFQ aside from the friends you'll make from your classes.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any health issues (other than colds and the usual) so I did not have experience with healthcare. You'll need a yellow fever vaccine if you want to travel to the Amazon. The CDC recommends you take malaria medication in lowland areas, and perhaps to be safe you should, but in Ecuador it's an infinitesimally small risk with the exception of certain areas of the coast. If you do want malaria medication, buy it in Ecuador, where it's an order of magnitude cheaper than in the states.

Quito has a lot of pickpocketing, especially in the bar/club district, known variously as La Foch, La Mariscal, or Gringolandia. Don't bring expensive items with you at night. I walked around the city day and night quite a bit and had no bad experiences whatsoever, but talk to locals and ask them where the places to avoid are. You'll get oriented on safety when you're in the country too.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I spent very little money during my school weeks, but the weekend trips were expensive (by Ecuadorian/student standards). I spent anywhere from $60 to visit Sinchi Warmi (an jungle lodge in the Amazon) on the low end to almost $200 to fly to Manta and stay in Puerto Lopez (but it was worth it!!). Food is very cheap in Ecuador, as is lodging (you can usually find a hostel for around $10/night).

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Weekend Trips
• Ecuabuddies
• Fellow IES Students

• More info about which classes to take
• More encouragement to speak Spanish when on official events with IES students
• Better predeparture support from IES (Visa process, etc)

The Academic or Linguist