An academically intense but rewarding experience Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/21/2017 to 06/05/2017 with
SIT Study Abroad: Chile - Comparative Education and Social Change
It is hard to qualify what I learned in four months abroad in just a few lines, especially having just gotten back. I think my answer to this question will develop as I reintegrate. Academically, I learned a great deal about the historical and present political context of Chile, the education system, and the society as a whole. My Spanish definitely improved, especially my listening skills. Personally, I learned a great deal about adaptability, independence, confidence, approaching new situations, and more. I also gained an immense appreciation for international students at my home university studying and living in not their first language as this really is a big challenge in many unexpected ways.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It is academically a very intense program. You learn a great deal but days are very long and very structured, so just be aware of whether this is the kind of experience you are looking for when choosing. |
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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? |
My main homestay family was difficult, but most people had good experiences and my excursion families were amazing. |
| * Food: |
Dependent on host family, but Chile is not know for it's cuisine. |
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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? |
It was accessible, high quality, and SIT's insurance plan makes it free. |
| * Safety: |
Street harassment is unfortunately common in the forms of yells and whistles, but I never felt unsafe. You are well prepared on safety during orientation. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I would say "Maybe" is more accurate. I would likely have chosen a program outside of a big city if I were to do it again, but this is just personal preference. There are a lot of amazing aspects to Santiago, but I do prefer smaller cities. I would still chose an SIT program and am very grateful for the experience. |
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) |
Only social activities outside of the program cost money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $25 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you stay out late you will have to take a cab home which can get expensive, so be aware of this. |
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 |
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| 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? | One semester of college 300 Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | I wish I knew that the days would be very long although rewarding. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Integrated courses |
| Course Department: | N/A |
| Instructor: | Program staff |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | All courses were in Spanish. Though there are technically distinct courses, that seems to be more for credit purposes and it's just one sort of continuous educational experience. You have access to communities and individuals that are very unique and incredible opportunities. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
