Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Patagonian Adventure Past Review

By (Westminster College, UT) - abroad from 09/22/2015 to 12/15/2015 with

Round River Conservation Studies - Patagonia, Chile Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My experience abroad with Round River will always be one of the greatest experiences of my life. I learned so much about conservation, the regional issues in Patagonia, outdoor experiences, and even about myself as a person.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

While we did get the opportunity to interact with many Chileans, there isn't a full cultural immersion as seen if you were living with a host family 24/7 for three months.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $10--everything is included in the program except any personal extras you may want.

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? A college Spanish II course
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? With Round River, it is a personal choice how often you use the language. If given the chance to speak Spanish, I would suggest taking it. Since it isn't a full immersion program, you learn as much of the language as the effort you put in individually.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The place: Patagonia
  • The people: our work with the Chilean park guards
  • The application: we were applying the conservation and restoration methods that we were learning about.
* What could be improved?
  • We covered quite a bit of material over the course of three months that sometimes felt overwhelming
  • Round River doesn't have the typical immersion-type experience
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish that I had prepared more in regards to my knowledge of the country and region I was in. There were many local issues that I was completely unaware of beforehand. Having a base line knowledge to discuss the issues with the Chilean people we spoke with would have been very helpful.