It wet my appetite, but sent me back unsatieted. Going back ASAP. Past Review
By Jessa H (Neurobiology and Neurosciences., Trinity University) for
IES Abroad: Santiago Summer - Health Studies
It was absolutely worthwhile and taught me much about myself and my own interests. However, it was not what I had expected and the program itself was not a good match for what I wanted.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone in the IES office was wonderful! They were friendly and always willing to help. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was treated like a paying boarding student, which disappointed me a little bit because I chose a host family to learn about the local culture more. My host family was very nice, but didn't teach me about the city or the culture, nor did they make an effort to get to know me. They also had two kids that were terribly spoiled and stole my things and didn't listen to me. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The field trips during orientation were really good, but there weren't any more after orientation. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
When I got sick my program arranged for me to go to a really nice clinic, and because I was so new they sent someone with me to show me there, which was really helpful. As for safety, it was the same as in any big city, just took some common sense. Several people in my program were robbed, but it was when they were walking in huge groups of other Americans speaking English and flashing cameras, etc. around. |
| 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? | the metro is extremely expensive, and the cost is much hagher than IES estimates in the budget it gives you |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We only spoke english in the classroom, which was really helpful, but all of the students were American, and no one spoke Spanish to each other, which was frustrating. I learned more Spanish in the last two weeks of my independent travels than I did in the entire 7 week program. |
| 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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This program would be best for pre-med students who know they have a passion for medicine. It would also be better for people looking for more of a medical learning experience and less of a different cultural experience. Chile is very Americanized. |
