Chile increased my faith and hope in the unknown. Past Review

By Andrea D (Humanities, Providence College) - abroad from 07/24/2011 to 07/10/2012 with

IES Abroad: Santiago - Study in Santiago

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Very worthwhile. It is true that I learned more comparatively about the United States than I truly learned about Chile. Politics and International Relations have faces now, whereas before it was theory and talk.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I did not take many courses from IES, so the mandatory spanish courses and the medical spanish course offered were very formative and the professores were the best language professors I have had yet. The courses at the University were challenging in workload, but the content of the courses was predominantly well organized and delivered.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The administration was enthusiastic and very dedicated to cultivating an environment conducive to improving one's spanish.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	When I took on a routine with other students or a church community there was a greater sense of local culture.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	the director in charge of health and welfare was very communicative and took charge of all situations.
* Safety:	very safe and only night time warranted conscientiously cautious behavior.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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)	Chile is in general expensive.
* Was housing included in your program cost?	Yes
* Was food included in your program cost?	Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	60 dollars: transportation with a student discount which semester only students cannot receive; coffee and snacks; cell phone; outings: clubs, theaters, movies, museums
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	keep receipts and at the end of a week or a month look back and see in general if the amount you spent within different categories such as recreation, travel, food, necessary, unnecessary is something you with which you are happy and can maintain. If not more concentrated and specific efforts can be made to reduce spending.

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
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?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	201
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?	Join a volunteer or extracurricular group not created for foreign students. Seek out conversation with host family. Read newspapers of the city.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	Santiago in itself cannot be completely explored- so much to uncover. The administration gave support and confidence sometimes not provided by host families.
* What could be improved?	The scheduling of classes to encourage more classes at the University as opposed to within IES.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Not to stress about making the most of the experience. For the story I came away with was mine and it was good.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Narrative Chilena e Hispanoamericana
Course Department:	Letras
Instructor:	Mario Lillo
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	Brilliant professor and the content not only provides an impressive, in depth introduction to literary analysis, but also offered a more intimate and varied way of getting to know latin american cultures. But it was the most demanding class I had.
Credit Transfer Issues: