Mountain Livin' Past Review
By A student (International/Global Studies., Kenyon College) - abroad from 08/24/2014 to 12/05/2014 with
SIT Study Abroad: Peru - Indigenous Peoples and Globalization
Mastery of a language, a host of new friends (many of whom I consider family), and a different adventure every day. I couldn't have asked for more.
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. |
Classes were not as hard as my home university's, but I learned a lot in and especially out of the classroom that I never would have learned at home. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Mily and Alex are THE BEST. You will feel like they're your friends and parents. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
SIT does a great job picking host families- mine was 4 blocks from the program center and I had 3 amazing host siblings. Their house was a small but comfortable apartment and I had my own room and internet access was great. |
| * Food: |
The food is delicious, if a little heavy on the carbs. Like, a lot of rice and potatoes. But the Lomo Saltado, Empanadas, Ceviche and Aji de Gallina and quinoa are all amazing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
it is potentially difficult to meet Peruvians your own age- it took a little extra effort on my part to do so. I spent a lot of time with my host siblings and their friends and joined a gym and basketball team. Cusqueños are very friendly so making friends was actually very easy. Other than that the immersion on this program is pretty intense- you'll be spending a lot of time speaking Spanish and visiting different communities. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't get seriously sick- I did get food poisoning once (only lasts a few hours) so beware the fresh fruit (i.e. make sure it's washed, peeled, from a good source etc. Only 1 girl on the program had a little trouble with altitude sickness and the program was really supportive of her. |
| * Safety: |
As a girl there is some cat-calling in Cusco, and certainly a few places to avoid while alone late at night. Overall i felt very safe in Cusco. |
| 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) |
Peru is pretty cheap- you can get a 3 course meal for 8 soles (like 3 dollars) and you can always barter in markets. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Maybe about 80 soles (so around 30 dollars) including money for one dinner out and drinks on the weekends |
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? | Advanced |
| 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? | advanced spanish literature |
| 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? | 10+ |
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? | How amazing the entire experience was going to be- and to bring a pocket knife for arrow carving in the Amazon! |
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 AdventurerThe 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. |
