Semester in Peru: Learning and Living Abroad Past Review
By A student (Providence College) - abroad from 02/04/2012 to 05/19/2012 with
SIT Study Abroad: Peru - Indigenous Peoples and Globalization
What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely worthwhile. I learned a lot about myself and what kinds of things I like/don't like about my American culture and Peruvian culture. I gained more of an appreciation for American culture, but also more of an admiration for the struggles people of Peru have gone through. It was also amazing to see things I've read about first hand, which has informed me in ways no book could ever do.
Review Photos
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. |
The ISP portion of the semester was very intense and rigorous (and extremely rewarding!) but the remainder of the academic work during the semester lacked that same spirit. |
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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? |
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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? |
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| * Safety: |
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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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $25 |
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? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish Composition |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
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 didn't know Cusco was such a tourist-driven city; this made for almost always feeling like a tourist myself, and feeling as though the locals were selling their culture instead of sharing it. I also didn't know that while Peru is a country home to dozens of indigenous cultures, there is not really an indigenous movement in the country; had I know that, I might have chosen a country who has a little bit of a stronger social justice history than Peru. |
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