Merida, Mexico: My new connection to the country on the otherside of the border Past Review
By Shannon M (International Relations/Pre-med, Carleton College) for
IFSA: Merida - Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan
I feel a lot more connected to the growing Hispanic population in the United States and now have the ability to help them with my ability to speek Spanish. I also am more open to different views and different cultures in general.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Although the workload was less than my school in the United States, I spent most of my time adjusting to the new language and cultural traditions. I would never trade these experiences for a semester in my college in the United States. Although I didn't visit the professors outside of class very much, they all responded to their emails and were very passionate about their subject manner. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was amazing!!!!!! There was a full time director who was like a mother to us (and was actually from Quito and we always talked in Spanish). She was very organized, responsive to our feelings, monitored our traveling, asked us about our classes, and always had a smile. The assistant director was in charge of our host family selection and communication and made sure we had a good fit. Finally, there was a graduate student helping our with organizing volunteer programs and helping us find things to do for fun and to immerse ourselves in the culture. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Amazing! Very religious and caring. Always made sure I was eating what I liked and involved me in family acitivites. The home was close to the gym, shopping centers, and my school. |
| * Food: |
I was a vegetarian and the food was great! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We spent four days living in a small rural community doing community service and we got to sleep in hammocks and swim in cenotes We also took a five day trip to Chiapas were we got to learn about the cultural traditions of day of the dead and visit religious events connected to this Concerts in the park Walking around the center of town and visiting the markers |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Healthcare was easily accessible with the insurance of my study abroad program and my host family knew about good doctors |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | I only spent money to travel and wasn't very much at all |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | An upper level literature class |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
My host family, my friends, the organizations I volunteered with, my classmates, my professors, travel agencies, stores, etc. |
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? | If you really want to improve your spanish choose this program. This program requires a student who is self motivated and is more focused on academics and cultural experiences than traveling. |
