Worth every penny of debt Past Review
By Kara J (Environmental Science Policies and Management, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities) - abroad from 09/01/2014 to 12/04/2014 with
The School for Field Studies / SFS: Peru – Amazon Studies
Not only did I learn about the Amazon, biodiversity, and sustainability, but I also learned about the whole world and about 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. |
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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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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We lived along side Peruvians and 20 a minute walk from the local town of Pilcopata where we had lots of really awesome friends. |
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $20 |
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 |
None of the Peruvians knew English, so if you wanted to interact with them you had to practice the language. But all of the students and faculty spoke english, so if you didn't want to speak spanish you could get away with just english. |
| 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? | High School Spanish level 5 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | make friends who are locals. They don't speak english, so you are forced to use Spanish. Peruvians can also speak the Incan language of Quechua, so it was fun to learn another language while learning Spanish. |
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? | there is so much variety in landscape, culture, and history through out all of Peru, and its relatively cheap to travel around once in Peru. I wish I would have been able to see more of Peru or even of the neighboring countries while I was there. |
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.' |
