Exploring Valparaíso, Chile, America, and myself Past Review
By Ariana Carter (Wellesley College) - abroad from 07/25/2016 to 12/15/2016 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Santiago
I got to be independent in a large city for the first time, gaining confidence as I learned how to maneuver and communicate and explore. Chilean culture exercised my skills of patience and flexibility, making me appreciative of the US university system and many other things. I missed my home and school terribly, but I know I've returned with a different worldview and more ability to think critically. I learned a lot about the worldview in other countries, which is generally much broader than in the US. I was able to observe the US from outside, especially interesting during this election season, seeing similarities and differences between our problems and those of other countries. Chile is complex, with a troubled past and a troubled present. It is not perfect in any way, like all countries I expect; it was a good experience for me to learn to love it anyway.
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. |
I chose classes from the first and second year lists, which turned out to be a bit too easy given my background. The professors and university staff were not always available or helpful, so I got most of my information from the other students. The public University of Valparaíso is underfunded, so classrooms were basic, but the teachers were committed and my fellow students were energetic and engaged. Learning is very student-directed, with the grades resting mostly on tests and group projects. Students have the ability to protest social issues by shutting down the school for days or weeks, which is interesting culturally but led to some exchange students having disjointed semesters with not enough class time. (The program directors worked hard to alleviate that problem.) |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Middlebury program staff were always friendly and supportive, a safety net that let me feel comfortable in my transition to a foreign culture yet independent to explore and problem-solve on my own. Whenever we needed help they were always right there. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host family experience. I had my own room in a nice house in a beautiful location. My host mom acted as my mom for the semester, taking me shopping and to cultural events to help me learn about Chile. My friend who didn't live with a family learned much less about Chilean family life, food and cooking vocabulary, and even history and politics because my host mom was involved in that. |
| * Food: |
Chilean food in general is greasy and/or nothing but potatoes and/or bland and uninspiring, but the fruit is abundant, cheap, and fantastically tasty. Supermarkets are similar to those in the US, with too many options for me; and the best fresh food comes from open-air mercados. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Middlebury language pledge was the key to this. Signing a pledge during orientation made it so much easier to tell people that I preferred to speak in Spanish, no matter how much they wanted to practice their English on me. My host family also helped, by introducing me to other Chileans and taking me to family barbecues. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no occasion to use healthcare in Chile. I've heard that the hospitals and clinics are not the best, underfunded like various other services. In general, Chile is a fairly modern country with no dangerous health issues. |
| * Safety: |
Safety in Valparaíso is mostly a question of common sense. During the day, I felt safe in any neighborhood or hill, barring the few times I encountered dogs fighting in the streets. At night, most central areas still had plenty of people and I felt fine. Some other students - not many, that I heard of - had things stolen in the street. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program was set up well and the directors cared a lot about our well-being and happiness. |
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) |
Food is included in the housing cost, since we were living as part of families. I bought food occasionally when I was out all day, but other than that my only expenses were transportation (the buses are cheap) and miscellaneous things. Toothpaste, ice cream, pretty earrings from street vendors. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $25 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | When I withdrew cash each month to pay rent, I took out a set amount extra that I used the rest of the month. (Most smaller businesses prefer cash.) I always knew I had the option of using a card in the grocery store if I ran out, but it made it easier to not buy unnecessary things. The buses really are cheap, so it's not saving much, but when I had time I loved to walk through the city and up the hills because I saw and learned so much more. |
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 |
The language pledge was key to my immersion in the culture. It eliminated (most of) the temptation to speak English with everyone who noticed my accent and wanted to practice. When the students from the Middlebury program gathered and we stayed in Spanish, it felt better because we weren't extracting ourselves temporarily from the Chilean culture to make an island of American-ness. |
| 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? | Wellesley's Spanish 241, one semester after the second-year course. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Listen to it, a lot. Especially if you're going to Chile, listen to Chilean radio, videos, everything to get used to the speed and cadences. I promise that after learning to communicate with Chileans, you will feel that Spanish-speakers from any other country are talking slowly and precisely and you can understand them with no effort at all. You don't need to spend much time learning the "chilenismos," because everyone you talk to will want to teach you some of their slang words. |
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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| 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? | I wish I'd had an internship, even if not for credit. I sometimes felt I had too much free time and would have liked another structured activity to get to know people. |
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! |
