Challenging Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/21/2018 to 07/15/2018 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valparaiso
I got to learn a lot about the city of Valparaíso and lived in a city for the first time. I definitely learned the most through my internship in a local preschool, where I assisted the teachers with daily activities and helped implement a composting campaign in the school.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was disappointed to have been placed in a home with several people who smoke, because I was very clear in my application that I have asthma and did not want anyone to be smoking in the house. I was, however, able to switch to another host family that worked much better. |
| * Food: |
Although my host mom was very excited to try new recipes, traditional Chilean food has very few good options for vegetarians. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
When I struggled with mental health during my time in Chile, the program coordinators were very helpful in finding a psychologist that I could meet with. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I think that it was worthwhile, but I would make some changes if I could. There were several external factors that made my semester challenging, such as a 6-week strike at the university and a disagreement with my host family. However, beyond those issues, I do not think that I did enough work when I was applying to programs to see if this program would be a fit for me. Although I appreciate everything that I learned while I was there, I think I would have preferred a smaller university and a smaller city. |
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) |
In a regular week, I spent about $14 on travel and $16 on food - I had three meals a day provided through my homestay, so food was not that much of an issue. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Approx. $30 |
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 |
This is an immersive language program, in which all participants take a pledge to communicate only in the target language throughout the semester. |
| 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 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
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? | Taking classes in a single department is a key way to get to know people. |
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: |
Regional Geography |
| Course Department: | Geography |
| Instructor: | Jorge Javier Negrete Sepúlveda |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This course fit in very well with the human geography courses I have taken at Middlebury. The first part of the course was mostly theoretical, but the second half applied the theory to specific aspects of Chilean economy and society. The course was assessed through two quizzes and two group projects. The professor was very accommodating when we had to change the assessment schedule due to a prolonged student strike. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
History of Universal Art |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Pablo Rodrigo García Nuñez |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This was a survey course of western art intended for first-year history students. Therefore, the assessments were primarily based on the ability to retain information presented in lectures and readings. As an exchange student, I was given the opportunity to take quizzes orally instead of in writing, which I found very helpful. The professor and the TAs were very accommodating and helpful. |
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