Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Valdivia! June 29, 2022

By (Geography, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/23/2022 to 07/15/2022 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valdivia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned about life outside the US and improved my Spanish a lot. I made some great friends.

Personal Information

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any issues so I don't know. It was easy to get Covid vaccine/test.

* Safety:

Very safe city.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I had a great time.

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 had to pay bus fare, but everything else was basically covered by my homestay. I only spent money on things when I wanted to go out to eat or do something else outside of the house.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 50$?
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Make a budget of how much you can spend each day/week and stick to it.

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

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? 350
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • Valdivia is a beautiful
  • La Universidad Austral
  • Living with a host family
* What could be improved?
  • Better communication with Middlebury
  • Registering for classes is a bit hard
  • The internship program.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I felt pretty well prepared. If I did it again, I probably would not do an internship and instead take more classes to spend more time in the University.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Genesis y Analisis de Suelos
Course Department: Geografía/Geología
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Español
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Geografía Política de América del Sur
Course Department: Geografía
Instructor: Luis de Matheus
Instruction Language: Español
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Historia de América Precolombina
Course Department: Historia
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues: