Studying/living in Chile for a semester Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Middlebury's resources were helpful. I learned a lot from our culture classes, our writing tutor, and our assigned cultural mentors. The only reason this isn't five stars is because of the Chilean university; it was very disorganized (but Middlebury has no control over that).

On-site administration of your program

Juan is fantastic. He is incredibly organized, attentive, and caring. I am so grateful he was the director of Middlebury's Chile program.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my host family. There was always enough food, it was safe and clean, and I thoroughly felt like I was part of the family. Even if I hadn't felt this way, Paulina (a member of Middlebury's staff) was always there to help with any concerns or questions that arose. If there had been a problem, I know she would have worked with me to take care of it.

There was always enough food. There was a variety of food and it was all healthy. My family was very accommodating to any dietary restrictions that I had (my only problem was that I am lactose intolerant, but they were also willing/able to accommodate vegetarians, vegans, etc. if that had been the case).

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very integrated with my host family and with the students in the majority of my classes. That being said, I am very obviously not Chilean, so it wouldn't have been possible to fully integrate with the culture. By the end of the semester, however, I felt comfortable speaking Spanish, using public transportation, going to the market, etc.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Middlebury's staff responded immediately if I had a health problem. They organized/accompanied me to doctor's appointments and pharmacy visits to ensure that I received the care I needed.

Theft is pretty common, especially if you stick out as a foreigner. It's also not safe to be out at night if you're alone. That being said, I was almost never cat-called or stolen from. I felt safe walking around the city with my friends at night so long as we were with a group. It's just a matter of using common sense and you'll be fine.

I was forced to interact with Chilean culture/people, but I didn't go in blind. Middlebury made sure to not only support us, but also to educate us so we could be mindful of the context in which we as outsiders entered this new place.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

The cost of living in Chile is slightly lower than the United States. Rent was high, but it included food and cleaning. That cut into my savings a lot. Food, alcohol, groceries, and travel were all pretty low cost. Middlebury also had a stipend for plane tickets which saved me an incredible amount of money.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We signed an agreement saying we would only speak Spanish. All of our classes were with Chileans instead of with other United States students.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students

• My host family
• Language practice
• Location

• Provide more specific information about the city/location in which students are going to study BEFORE they get there instead of at orientation in Chile. (eg how does public transportation work, what is the physical layout of the city, how do doctor/pharmacy visits work, how does the banking system work, etc)

The Outright Urbanite