Valparaíso: una ciudad mágica con memorias invaluables Past Review

By (Pomona College) - abroad from 02/20/2018 to 07/07/2018 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valparaiso

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
So so much.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

When we were in school, I had a reasonable amount of work. Far less than what I have at Pomona but the perfect amount for someone looking to learn inside class AND outside. The biggest challenge was group projects because Chileans are notorious for not putting work into them. We also went on strike for my last 2 months so it ended up being easier than it should have been.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Middlebury team in Chile is full of wonderful people but this is very much a "get shoved in the deep end and hope you swim" program. I happened to swim but I know many who sank and had a very very rough semester. There is almost no support unless you actively seek it out and even then spotty. The travel excursion with the program was nice but not a good way to get to know the places we visited (except the day tours in my city)

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had a good host family but I wish I could have not lived with a family at all, which Midd doesn't permit for safety reasons.

* Food:

Food was my biggest challenge in Chile. I was hungry all the time because my host family just doesn't eat that much, and essentially breakfast and dinner is just bread. I highly recommend being very vocal from the getgo that you need more food if that's the case. I got in too deep and ended up having to supplement what my host family provided almost daily.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I chose to never hang out with Americans and it was the best choice of my life. Middlebury does a good job of encouraging this but it 100% depends on you in the end. Even just being in a room with another american made me think in English so as far as language immersion goes, it's 1000% better to stick with all Chileans all the time. I ended up having a serious boyfriend and a lot of really really close friends that I still talk to daily.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A

* Safety:

Valpo is known for petty crime so I had to learn how to make sure my backpack didn't get into in the streets and had to spend a lot of money on ubers when I went out at night, but I never really felt like I was going to get injured or killed. Honestly it's probably safer than cities in the US because there are no guns. I appreciated the opportunity to develop my street smarts, and if you're smart and careful (like don't put your phone in the outer pocket of your backpack, don't hold it in the streets). If you're a woman, take uber at night. you can be alone and a woman, or a woman at night, but you can't be a woman alone at night. Be safe!

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

Although the Midd team isn't the best support system during the hard times, it is the only program out there that can get you immersed as possible.

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)

My food was paid for by the program so I just paid for public transportation and extra snacks (and going out)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? around $50 including crazy expensive drinks while going out
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? never pay to get into a club--sign up for a list with a promoter and you can get in for free (esp as an exchange student)

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

Middlebury makes you sign a language pledge but THE COMMITMENT IS UP TO YOU. The number of Americans I spoke to by the end that were jealous of how immersed I was was impressive. Commit! It's so worth it!

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? I have taken 2 Advanced spanish classes at Pomona (101 and a culture 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? Avoid english speakers like the plague! At first it's so attractive to break the pledge "just until I make Chilean friends" but fight through the loneliness and wait. The Chilean friends will come if you continue to seek them and you really don't want to get stuck surrounding yourself with English speakers all the time. I ended up making some American friends by the end because my Chilean friends had american friends, and I realized just having them in the room made english slide out more commonly by accident. It's just too tempting to throw English words in and make jokes that they'll understand. If you want immersion, it needs to be 100% chileans (at least at first)

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?
  • SPANISH IMMERSION
  • encouragement to make chilean friends
* What could be improved?
  • Support system
  • Better planned excursion
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Living with a host family is tough after spending 3 years living alone at school. Be vocal with your needs up front and it'll save you a lot of discomfort and awkwardness throughout. It's a push you in the deep end program so if you're motivated enough to get yourself out there, be awkward, throw yourself into friend groups, you'll have the greatest experience ever. If you're super introverted and that sounds like a nightmare, maybe rethink programs. THIS IS A CHALLENGING PROGRAM. It's incredibly rewarding if you make it work for you but it can also be the worst couple months of your life if you can't put yourself out there. Definitely think long and hard about how much emotional labor youre willing to put in. Also go for a year!

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:

Recursos Naturales y Cambio Climático Global

Course Department: Oceanografía
Instructor: MARCO ANTONIO CISTERNAS VEGA
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Met once a week for 1.5 hours. It was an incredibly engaging, informative elective class. The tests were very easy but the focus was on learning and I learned SO MUCH? My biggest dissatisfaction was that out of 9 students only 2 were Chileans so I spent more time with Americans than I wanted to. Otherwise, a perfect class for me!
Credit Transfer Issues: haven't done that yet
Course Name/Rating:

Introducción a Oceanografía

Course Department: Oceanografía
Instructor: 4 differentes
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: A great, interesting intro class. Parts were excruciatingly boring but mostly very interesting as someone who has never taken oceanography. Tests were usually easy and the profs really help out international students a lot. This was essentially a lecture class (40 students). Also tons of international students take it so it's hard to get close with the Chileans because it's too easy to just hang with the Americans.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Geografía de Chile

Course Department: Geografía
Instructor: CRISTIAN ROBERTO LARRAGUIBEL GONZALEZ
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Sometimes this class was SO BORING but mostly I loved it. We had presentations and exams and I did well in the class. It's an awesome way to get some cool insight on Chile and especially when I was traveling around a lot, it was an invaluable resource to better understand the places I was visiting. It was a great class for me.
Credit Transfer Issues: