Past Review
By Lauren G (Nursing., SUNY - Binghamton) for
SUNY Binghamton: Juan Dolio - Community Health in Dominican Republic
It was very worth while, the trip really opened my eyes to global issues and made me fell a part of the greater global community.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Dominicans were very welcoming and were very excited to have us in their country. We learned a lot, and made many friends with the locals. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Barcelo Capella Resort <br /><br /> The resort was nice, and it helped our language skills because we spoke to the resort staff in Spanish. |
| * Food: |
The food was always available, but one cannot avoid some stomach upset when traveling to a foreign nation. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved interacting with the Dominican people, and I loved how welcoming they were! We got to see many historical parts of the DR and were exposed to how many Dominicans really live. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Always stay in groups! |
| 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? | I brought about $200 for spending, food was included at the resort. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Bring cash so it can easily be changed to pesos! Traveler's checks were a pain! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We practiced Spanish with local Dominicans, some spoke a little English, but most spoke only Spanish. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Nursing students would benefit. Have an open mind and remember that just because something is different, does not mean it is incorrect. |
