Rad! Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/22/2017 to 07/10/2017 with
Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso: Valparaiso - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I majorly improved my Spanish language skills and learned to drop fear of asking seemingly stupid or forward questions. The program was absolutely worthwhile. I also learned I was incredibly lucky to have not experienced intense daily sexism to the same extent that many of my peers (both local and foreign) experienced.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Overall, classes interesting and challenging. Some classes only worked through half of the syllabus. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Middlebury Language School administrators were incredibly helpful, passionate, and accessible. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Kind family, nice room, good food, safe place. Only downfall was broken plumbing and little to no hot water in the winter. |
| * Food: |
Overall good given my vegetarian restriction. I enjoyed cooking for myself. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Family, classmates and locals were overall very welcoming and eager for me to become part of their community. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Middlebury administrators addressed healthcare during our orientation. Overall no problems (I never had the need to visit a doctor or a hospital) though I was surprised and a bit frustrated that I could not purchase over-the-counter pain meds (e.g. ibuprofen) when I had a stressed shoulder and neck muscle. |
| * Safety: |
Safety advice from both the Middlebury directors and my host family was very helpful. City was generally safe during the day, and at night I only felt safe if with a group. The only time I felt a bit unsafe was taking the local "colectivos" (shared taxis) back home at night, especially in cars with all males. I never had a specifically dangerous experience, but that was likely the situation I experienced weekly with the highest risk. Our administrators should have also clarified how to refill our phones, as it was not clear how to do so, and I found myself more than once in a situation in which I had no ability to make calls or send text messages while I was in the city alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I went for language immersion and that is what I got. The Middlebury Language Program establishes a fair balance between a strong resource/support system established by the program directors and an encouragement to be independent. |
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) |
The dollar exchange rate is entirely in your favor. 1 US dollar is roughly 675 Chilean pesos |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent probably $10-20 on food. As a vegetarian, I often felt the need to supplement the food we had at home. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take advantage of street vendors who sell dried fruit and nuts. Super cheap and delicious. |
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 was a focused language-immersion program. We signed an oath declaring we would not speak English for the entire duration of the program, with the exception of emergencies and quiet phone conversations with our US family and friends. |
| 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 |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | A 300-level Middlebury Spanish course. The course was entirely in Spanish, and engaged with only Spanish literature. |
| 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? | Focus not only on the language in an academic context, but in a social context as well; most students will find that hearing comprehension in a social context is one of the greatest language challenges. To prepare, listen to music, watch movies and TV from that country. Try to also find a speaker with whom you can practice. YouTube is also a wonderful resource. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | Chilean Spanish is wicked hard, and that it is absolutely safe for women to go for a run in public (found this out later than I would have liked). |
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: |
Historia de Arte III |
| Course Department: | Instituto de arte |
| Instructor: | Maria Pedrina |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The course was very interesting whether or not one has a proficient background in art and art history. Lectures were interesting, but the entire class was structured around the dictations of the professor with no classroom discussion. We were assessed monthly on the quality of our notes (including our own corresponding schemes, diagrams, and research) as well as two exams, one large final investigative project, and one final presentation based on that investigation. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I am currently in the process of transferring my credit. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Lenguaje, cognicion, y sociedad |
| Course Department: | School of literature and language sciences |
| Instructor: | Fernando Moncada |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The course was a wonderful mix of being challenging and interesting though manageable. I participated in class frequently, and found the professor was patient with my intermediate Spanish. I participated about the same as I would have in a home institution. We were assessed based on bi-weekly projects or papers, two exams, a large group presentation, and class participation. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I am currently in the process of transferring my credits. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
El canon de literatura: Tradición y transgresión |
| Course Department: | Institute of literature and language sciences |
| Instructor: | Ana Riveros Soto |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This course was overall interesting and manageable. The discussions were provocative, and expectations were clear. That being said, we only covered about half the material that was outlined on the material, and did not necessarily address or engage with the crux of the course's title: deviation from the constructed literary cannon. Our grades were based on individual or partner presentations, short weekly papers or long questions, three in-class exams, and a large final analysis. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I am currently in the process of transferring credit. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Historia de Chile: Independencia y la formación del estado |
| Course Department: | Institute of History |
| Instructor: | Ricardo Iglesias |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The course was challenging more for the language barrier than the concepts, though the concepts were sometimes challenging as well. The professor and the two TA's were overall accessible and helpful. In class there was some discussion, but it was predominantly lecture-based. In-class comprehension was frustrating because the professor often spoke from his desk with his hands in front of his mouth, and notes were projected into a fractured wall. The reading material was interesting, though sometimes too overwhelming as the physical quality of the online or physical text was compromised (too small, smudged, or blurred). Having Spanish as my second language, it was difficult to follow the antiquated language of some of the primary sources we read. I did not participate in class discussions. Grades were based on an oral exam, two written exams. We were also supposed to have a final paper, but significant time was compromised following a month-long student strike. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I am currently in the process of transferring my credit. |
