Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Valdivia-Green and Friendly! January 25, 2024

By (Geography, Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/25/2023 to 12/15/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valdivia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained and learned so much from my time abroad. Both academically and in terms of my language skills and my personal growth and confidence. It was challenging but worth it.

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.

I was very satisfied with my time abroad in Chile, especially in Valdivia. the smaller university city was the perfect environment for me to immerse myself in the language and the culture. The abroad staff was extremely helpful and set up a great internship and independent study.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program administrators were very helpful and kind.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My home stay went great

* 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 experience with health care

* Safety:

Valdivia was very safe and calm. I had to keep my guard up a bit at night and listened to my local friend's advice but felt safe the entire time.

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)

4, the Middlebury program's housing is more expensive than most, but my outside expenses were minimal and Valdivia was cheaper than larger cities.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50-70
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Take advantage of the food from the homestay and find ways to pack a lunch

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? Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? A 300 level spanish literature class
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? We stuck to the language pledge between other us students which at the beginning when we spent the most time together before making local friends was essential for my immersion and growth

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?
  • The location
  • My internship and independent study
  • The friends i made
* What could be improved?
  • Other people had challenging host family experiences
  • Communication around the expectations of the writing course
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish they told us they paid our cultural mentors

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Geography of Chile
Course Department: Geography
Instructor: Marcela del Pilar Osorio Venegas
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: I had high hopes for the course and was somewhat disappointed. Unlike other intro geography courses, we had no field trips and the course was mostly lecture-based. The professor was unresponsive to emails and communication outside of the class.
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Rural Culture and Society
Course Department: Natural resources and conservation management
Instructor: Gustavo Blanco Wells & Pablo Iriarte Bustos
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This course was engaging and provided a great historical and current context of environmental issues and conflicts within the region. The professors were helpful and the assessments were mostly papers and presentations with plenty of feedback. We had an interesting field trip. It was a larger course but I found everyone to be very kind and made friends in the class.
Credit Transfer Issues: No