Valparaíso, Chile July 19, 2022
By Rynn P (Sociology, Brandeis University) - abroad from 02/22/2022 to 06/06/2022 with
SIT Study Abroad: Chile - Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development
How to rely on others, the importance of putting personal issues with other students aside for the sake of the program, how to advocate for myself
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. |
Fairly rigorous, but they graded easily enough. Even if I was missing development of theory in a one page essay, I had opportunities to revise and received good grades overall. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The SIT team were amazing and helped us build a community while we were there. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my homestay families and the support they provided me! |
| * Food: |
I am celiac so it was very hard to find food at times. But the food was very good. Try the pastel de choclo! |
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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? |
I had mandated quarantine after testing positive for COVID and had other health issues. The team helped and supported me immensely. The Chilean healthcare system is more affordable and slightly more accessible than the US. |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $25-$50/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan ahead if you want to do traveling on the weekends. Things are more affordable, but traveling can be expensive. |
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? | Intermediate |
| 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? | Even if you think you'll make mistakes, keep going! You know more than you think! And beforehand, I would put your phone and computer in Spanish to practice. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Read the entry directions twice. Bring host family gifts that are meaningful to you. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
