Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Time flies in Patagonia Past Review

By (Westminster College, UT) - abroad from 09/15/2016 to 12/08/2016 with

Round River Conservation Studies - Patagonia, Chile Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained insights in my field of interest that I otherwise wouldn't have gained any other way. I found program, as a whole, was pretty gratifying/worthwhile but at times sometimes I felt that it wasn't simply because of some of the adverse conditions we happened to face.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved living outside for close to three months, it was amazing!

* Food:

I was blessed to be part of a group that really knew how to cook up some good meals.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This was one of the only factors that I wish we could have really spent more time with, I know the type of program that this is really limits the cultural aspect of the program but I wish I would have known that prior to going down there.

* 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

I loved my fellow students, I loved my instructors, and I loved the local individuals we got to interact with throughout the program. All of the people I listed really made this program what it is, oh and the location is pretty spectactular as well!

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)

Living in the field means there isn't many places to spend much money. I only spent about $600 dollars over the entire program.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 70$

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
  • Host Family
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* 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?
  • Backpacking
  • Field Sites
  • The folks I worked with
* What could be improved?
  • Food is bland in this part of the world due to its remoteness... not a ton can be done for this though.
  • Open/Clear dialogue why things are happening, sometimes felt that things were dumbed down to us so we could understand them which isn't neccessary in a lot of instances.
  • Larger facilities for larger groups.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The hiking wasn't as rigorous as it was originally made out to be, the remoteness of the program wasn't super clear to me, and how freaking awesome the places we got to travel to are!

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.