A semester full or growth and connection September 08, 2026
By A student (English, Spanish, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/23/2025 to 07/15/2026 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valdivia
My spanish improved, I made connections with Chileans, and I learned about a new culture and continent. Lots of learning!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Fascinating subjects but the professors and chilean students felt less invested than I did. Academic rigor was low. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Great! We had monthly or so meetings with multiple Midd program directors, and the personal attention and care was appreciated. They were absolutely available to help with what we needed. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was my favorite part of my entire stay in Chile. We got very close and I spent a lot of time with them. What a wonderful window into Chilean culture, with relationships that will last me a lifetime. |
| * Food: |
Chilean food is a bit bland, but my host mom did a great job of making delicious and fresh meals even so. I don't eat seafood, which is a bit tricky in Valdivia |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I did not have many deep chilean connections, but again my host family provided a lot of that. I also made strong connections with my cultural mentor and friends from the university choir I joined. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't really need to access health care while there. My host mom did a good job of helping me find medicine for a mild cold once. |
| * Safety: |
Felt super safe at all times. My host mom told me not to be alone at night, but thats normal for a young woman...I didn't feel worried or scared. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I love Valdivia and I had a great time with my host family. |
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) |
Costs included bus tickets but not much more. I spent some money on fun expenses for travel and cafes that could have been avoided if budget was really a concern. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Maybe $30 of necessary things |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save up beforehand and take advantage of student discounts |
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 |
Language pledge required, essentially no english spoken |
| 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? | An advanced 300 lvl spanish class (readings+lectures+essays in spanish) |
| 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? | Watch movies, read books, listen to podcasts in your target language to learn (especially media for young kids) |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Don't stress about finding classes, they are not the most important learning experience you will have. Also, don't worry about finding friends too much, it will come with time. It will be hard, but worth it. |
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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Pueblos Originarios 1 |
| Course Department: | Anthropology |
| Instructor: | Roberto Rojas |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Professor came to class 60% of the time, sometimes missing without prior notice. He was clearly passionate about the subject but was having some personal issues, however other chilean students said this was a longstanding trend with his classes, not just a this semester problem. Field trips to museums were fun and the material was interesting, but very dense at the beginning. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Sociología de Educación |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Juan P Venables |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | LOVED this class. The professor was deeply passionate, knowledgeable, and kind. It was an upper level elective so the students were invested too, which made for a great classroom environment. Was an excellent way to learn about sociology in general and chilean society. I can't over emphasize how great the prof was either. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
