Lima Past Review
By Kaley H (BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES., Kansas State University) for
ISA Study Abroad in Lima, Peru
Absolutely, and for going the first time, I would recommend using a program, but next time, I would go on my own because I know more now and the activities and support among other things would not be as worth the money for me.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
20 point grading system. Many universities in Lima are good, but I attended the USIL, and this was a much easier university than others. We also had more classes available in English than Spanish, which was not what I was looking for. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Should have used more Spanish, especially on excursions. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Loved it. |
| * Food: |
Meals prepared for me everyday. Ate most of the meals with the family. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Machu Picchu excursion was GREAT! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Never had any issues. If you are smart, then you can avoid issues. Just dont go in taxis alone at night, or carry more money than you need to, or take valuables out, or leave your purse somewhere, etc. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | VERY LITTLE. 45 soles ($15-$20) for going out on a friday and saturday, and combis throughout the week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | take advantage of what is provided through your program or host family. Free stuff all the time! |
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? | Span 520 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most people spoke Spanish. The university offered many courses in English though. Our excursions with the ISA program were all guided in English, which I disliked. My host family only spoke Spanish though which I loved. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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 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? | Take advantage of all that sstudy abroad has to offer! |
