Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Valdivia, a dream of a semester February 27, 2023

By (Environmental Studies, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/23/2022 to 07/16/2022 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valdivia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was 100% worthwhile, I gained so many skills of how to be in the world that I will carry with me for a long time

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Within the classroom, I learned a fair amount in the clases in UACH along with my practicum from Middlebury. However, the majority of my intensive and rigorous learning came from outside of the classroom in the city and in social situations with friends.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Their was not a coordinator on-site for Valdivia. We mostly found our own way around and made things up as we went, which was good for learning to take care of yourself in a new country. Administration was great but based in Santiago and only communicated via cell phone when needed.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a lovely family and enjoyed my experience in their home!

* Food:

I always had access to what I wanted to eat, enjoyed going to the market to buy fresh fruits & vegetables, ate from restaurants, and enjoyed many meals with my host family.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very integrated and involved with the community. I was always finding events to go to and workshops to attend. I enjoyed the culture of a small, coastal city with both urban and rural aspects.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was in fine health for the duration of the program. I felt I had the resources I needed if an issue arose.

* Safety:

I felt safe in the city I was in and the smallness often felt more like a town! I traveled in pairs at night. I rode my bike with frequency and took public transportation. I felt comfortable alone walking during the day and was not overly guarded of my possessions as I would have been in a larger city.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I would study independent of a college program from the US and enroll directly in the university in my chosen country

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? unsure
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? shop at the local markets for fresh foods rather than the grocery stores!

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? Spanish 0301
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? hang out with local students and not just with students from your home country!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International 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?
  • Orientation to the academic system and cultural norms
  • My practicum / internship
* What could be improved?
  • Administrative Organization from Middlebury
  • Culture/Writing Courses from Middlebury
  • Host Family pre-communications
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I did know this ahead of time but I wish I arrived in the spring into fall season (for Chile) rather than arriving in summer and leaving in their winter. It was challenging to be there in winter with the cold weather.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Paleo-environments and Climate Change

Course Department: Geography
Instructor: A.A.
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: The course was challenging and amazing! It was a mix of master's students and undergrad students. We learned at a fast pace. There was time in the lab outside of lectures as well as field trips where we recreated the route of a receding glacier. I felt really engaged and learned between English and Spanish, as most of the science concepts were in English but explained in Spanish. The teacher was incredible and very well-versed in her field. We had an oral individual exam and a group paper and presentations.
Credit Transfer Issues: all transferred bien!
Course Name/Rating:

Resolutions of Environmental Conflicts

Course Department: Engineering in Conservation and Natural Resource Studies
Instructor: B.K.
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This course was engaging and really fun. Everything was in groups and really discussion / interactive based. The assessments were based upon participation and presentations. We did a series of presentations of different methodologies of resolving conflicts, each group of students facilitating for the whole class. We also all researched environmental conflicts in the region, where I learned a lot about the region! and then presented -- it was a good challenge to present in Spanish in front of a class of 50+ students.
Credit Transfer Issues: all credits transferred fine
Course Name/Rating:

Selected Problems in Social Sciences
Course Department: Antropologia
Instructor: H.R.
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Hugo Romero is a fantastic, brilliant professor. Lectures were always engaging and relevant to what is going on in the world! A huge focus on the class was on ethnographic research and going out in the field! Assessed through papers and research and presentations. I participated with the same frequency as in my own institution.
Credit Transfer Issues: no issues w credit transfer