Field Studies in Mexico Past Review
By Julie B (Anthropology., Wellesley College) for
The School for Field Studies / SFS: Turks and Caicos Islands - Marine Resource Studies
Definitely worthwhile. My whole year abroad was well worth it
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
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 |
Scheduling was an issue when camping trips conflicted with study time for exams, etc. There were several things all students had issues with but they were semester-specific and have been voiced to the SFS administration. |
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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? |
Camping trips were amazing. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
We weren't allowed to leave the center alone, so we were always in town with someone. Also due to liability reasons we weren't allowed to do things such as ride a bike, horseback ride, etc. so we did not experience any safety-related incidents. Local healthcare services took care of people when they became ill with the flu, etc. |
| 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? | Minimal money was needed on a weekly basis. The only large sum of money I spent was during our mid-semester break. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I was informed of all expenses, and it is up to personal choice how much one chooses to spend on breaks, food, etc. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | N/A No prior knowledge of Spanish required |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We needed to speak Spanish whenever out in the local community as few people in town spoke English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The SFS Mexico field station will be closing in August, but I would recommend other SFS programs. |
