Oaxaca, Mexico; A love story :D Past Review
By Julia Z (Spanish and Philosophy, Wagner College) - abroad from 05/12/2012 to 06/09/2012 with
Mexico Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
It was SO worthwhile. I'm excited to get back to Oaxaca and see my friends. I met some of the kindest and most resourceful people during my time abroad. Every time I look at my pictures I really miss it.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | La Universidad de Benito Juarez, La Facultad de Idiomas |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I took two courses while abroad. The first was Mexican Theater History, which despite what you might think, was pretty challenging. Lots of reading a quizzes. I learned a lot though and my Spanish improved immensely. The second class I took was Mexican art history. I really enjoyed this class. The professor was clearly passionate about the subject. We were able to go on field trips every Friday to take advantage of the countless museums Oaxaca has to offer. Great Class! |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
LOVED OUR DIRECTOR!! Soledad, our director was truly a highlight of my experience. She is a native Oaxaqueña and a great guide through the city. My group had a great time with Soledad and I'm so happy to be keeping in touch with her! |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Couldn't have gotten a better host family. Every night before I started my homework I'd watch Pequeños gigantes with my host mother and sister, while we ate sweet bread and drank coffee. |
| * Food: |
I had a different meal everyday and let me tell you that I ate every scrap of food on my plate. My host mother was an excellent cocinera! She even made her own hot sauce, which to me was a huge plus. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I didn't realize how fortunate I was to be in a program that has a lot of integration with the culture and social life, until my group met with students from another study abroad program. The other program had its classes in a private building, which completely cut them off from the community. My group and I were thankful that we were able to meet other students from the area and actually make international friends. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There were no health emergencies while I was in Oaxaca, but if anyone was feeling unwell the host mothers were very attentive, as was our director. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe while I was in the program. I walked around the city at night, several times by myself without any issues. I came to know the area pretty well. My host mom did caution me to keep my bags close to me and to put away the house keys when I was out. |
| 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) |
I was shocked when I found out that everything REALLY IS included in the cost of Sol's tuition. By far the cheapest and most inclusive study abroad program I've ever encountered. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I'm going to guess with $50. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Pretty much everything is very cheap. One thing: Even though the Italian Coffee Company is friggen delicious, try other coffee joints like Brujula which is a local cafe. |
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 |
We tried really hard to stick with Spanish and we succeeded. Other programs that I've encountered were lacking in this area. We would break into English sometimes, but we were there to better our Spanish so we stuck to it. |
| 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? | Spanish 234 |
| 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? | Talk to your intercambios! Such a huge asset to have a native speaker to help you! It also gives you a great perspective on their culture and traditions. We learned a lot of social norms through our partners. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had left more room in my luggage for souvenirs! Aside from that, there were no surprises. |
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! |
