An Eye-Opening Experience and an Opportunity of a Lifetime:Dominican Republic Past Review

By (Radiation Therapy, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) for

Study Abroad Programs in Dominican Republic

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
YES! I would do it all over again. I am so much more aware of what happens in foreign countries and it really opened my eyes to how lucky we have it here in America. Now, I approach situations with a more open mind. My Spanish improved a ton as well! I have the travel bug now!

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.

Very laid back compared to an American learning environment and teaching styles. At first the workload seemed like a lot but after the first two weeks I realized that it wasn't too bad.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were very good about keeping everything organized and getting information to us students. The two leaders were Americans but had lived there for quite a while. There was a time where there was a national strike when I was abroad and the program directors called each person to let us know that we would have a bus to pick us up to come to school. We were able to call them with any questions we had and they provided us with a lot of local information to help us out.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I enjoyed my host family but at times I felt like they didn't necessarily respect my space. I had a 5 year old brother and a 17 month old little sister so my house was very noisy and it made it difficult to concentrate when I needed to. My neighborhood was safe and a relatively close walk to campus. At night we would take taxis just to be safe.

* Food:

I would recommend going to El Fulgon..it is where all the university students go to hang out. If you're craving American food, Square One is right across from Puerto 2. Definitely try the BON ice cream. One night we went to Lunes de Jazz which was a jazz band playing in a bar on the 5th floor of Plaza Internacional. I got very used to eating rice and beans. At first I didn't like it but after a while I started to look forward to it!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We took a lot of excursions. Although they were not all organized by the program, we had a lot of time to make our own plans. Through the program we went to Santo Domingo and toured, went out to dinner, went to a national park, and had free time to spend. Since we were learning public health we visited many clinics and hospitals throughout and around the city. We also spent a week in a semi-rural clinic to speak about public health.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Overall I would say it was relatively safe. I never once felt threatened however, since I have left, one of the support students that worked with us students was shot and killed outside of his house in Santiago. This frightened me and made me question the safety of the city because he was killed by the National Police for unknown reasons.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Most people did not speak English so we used our Spanish on an everyday basis. We were encouraged to speak in Spanish at all times but with other Americans it was difficult.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • Host Family

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Freedom to venture out
* What could be improved?
  • Host family match-ups
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Any person who is independent and looking for an adventure would love this program. One must be able to step outside their box and try things they would have never tried before and come in with an open mind.