Spring 2015 Past Review

By (University of Virginia) - abroad from 02/23/2015 to 07/10/2015 with

IES Abroad: Santiago - Study in Santiago

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I studied abroad with IES: Santiago in the spring of 2015. It was, by far, one of the best decisions I have made. Class sizes at the program center were small and the opportunity to take classes at one of the local universities, Universidad Pontifica Catolica de Chile, helped me to feel integrated into the city. My internship afforded me the greatest opportunity to practice Spanish, and I feel it contributed the most to the advancement of my ability to speak Spanish. Santiago as a city is safe and welcoming and a great jumping-off point if you are looking to travel both within and outside of Chile. The program size was small which allowed me to get to know everyone in the program and living in a home provided a fantastic cultural experience. I highly recommend this program!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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)

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

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

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Exposure to Spanish
  • The other students
  • Traveling
* What could be improved?
  • Communication before the start of the program
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish that I had better prepared myself to speak only Spanish. Since this program starts late, I had time in January/ February, and in retrospect I wish that I had utilized that time to become more comfortable with the language.