Great experience! I felt at home in their culture and learned a lot! Past Review
By Jessica B (Music, Spanish, Gustavus Adolphus College) - abroad from 02/17/2016 to 07/10/2017 with
IFSA: Valparaiso - Chilean Universities Program, Valparaiso
Independence, language skills, how to "adult", responsibility, travel skills, communication
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. |
There was a long list of classes that international students could choose from. To my knowledge, nobody had issues getting into classes they needed to support their majors/minors/generals. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Amazing! Whenever you needed help, somebody was always in the office, ready to get you what you needed or simply to hang out and talk. They university office also always had somebody available (within normal school hours) to assist with activity planning a suggesting. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great! I didn't have logistical problems with my host family at all - there was always plenty of food, laundry always got done and there was always a warm shower. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because I didn't relate with them so much on a personal level, so there was a slight disconnect. Overall, a great experience! |
| * Food: |
This is a very subjective question. I'm not a picky eater, so everything was great. There's quite a bit of salt and oil in their foods and not so many spices. Friends from the south said their food was "tasteless". You can always add a hot sauce if you want more heat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This was my favorite part about the program! If you actively try to learn and integrate yourself into the culture, you will do so by just existing and talking with the people who live there. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I dislocated my thumb while I was there and I called my program assistant director and she took me to the doctor the following day. She also helped me out with the insurance policies and everything went smoothly. |
| * Safety: |
As long as you use your common sense, there shouldn't be much to worry about. Keep all valuables tucked away; don't wander through the vacant streets alone at night; don't draw attention to yourself. I only had one negative experience and that was because I wasn't using my common sense. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved the location and support from the program and university directors. The people who live there are extremely friendly and fun to talk to. There was always an adventure around the corner, whether within the program or planned by myself. |
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 best adventures are often the cheapest ones. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | An upper level Spanish course at Gustavus |
| 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? | Movies, music, reading, TALK WITH YOUR LANGUAGE PROFS!!! |
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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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How to balance abroad academics and excursions |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
