chileHere's some more of that survey!
What was your favorite class/who was your favorite professor? Why?
I really enjoyed my "Picaresque Spanish Novel" class; the professor was insanely difficult, the work was much too hard, and the material was completely worthwhile. Tapping his marker impatiently against his podium the first day, Dr. Miguel Donoso announced that this class was NOT for foreign students, and that they would probably fail miserably. He invited us to leave. The four exchange students (one from England, three others from the States) squirmed in our seats. Yet I decided to stick it out. Our first assignment, a 900-page book written in practically incomprehensible Old Spanish, sent us scrambling for English translations on the Internet. However, when none were found, I had to grit my teeth and struggle through the book. The feeling of satisfaction when I passed that test was amazing.
Though Dr. Donoso ignored us at first, brushing off our attempts to be friendly and shaking his head when we tried to answer questions in class, I think he eventually began to respect us for our persistence. “Your Spanish has improved greatly throughout the course of the semester,” read an email he sent me last week. “I have enjoyed having you as a student.”
How would you compare classes abroad to those at home?
They were much more difficult for me because they were in Spanish, however, content-wise, the content was easier than in my classes at St. Norbert. In my theology class, for example, we were only expected to take two tests throughout the course of the semester, and occasionally watched movies instead of having class. Of course, all the of the classes were still worthwhile, but (considering Universidad Catolica is referred to as the “Harvard of Chile) I think US classes are comparatively more difficult.
What did you miss most about America?
As much as I enjoyed improving my Spanish, I missed the ease of communication. Finding my way around a new city and university sometimes posed problems, and building new relationships requires effort, but I enjoy a challenge and rarely got tired of navigating or meeting new people. However, I did get tired of trying to think of just the right words to tell my host mom about the hostal we had stayed in, or to describe a character's actions on a literature test, etc. etc. There was never really a break. Even when in a stressful situation, I could not resort to English; I had to cope in Spanish.
Do you feel like a different person now? Do you think studying abroad has changed you in any permanent ways?
I am probably more globally aware and less blinded by the US mentality that we are the best and (due to economic and technological inferiority) other countries are less important, etc. I feel that I can now truly appreciate what we enjoy here after observing the conditions in various South American countries. We take so much for granted. I also now know that I can do much more than I thought I could. Braving Class IV rapids, leaving everything I’d ever known, eating guinea pig, looking incompetent and looking to others for guidance, surviving mugging and robbery, navigating in five South American countries, taking normal university classes completely in another language…I never imagined what I could accomplish in five months. I feel empowered now; I can definitely do more than I thought I could.
Do you ever think you’ll become entirely adjusted to life back in America? Do you even want to be?
If being “adjusted” means once again taking our lavish lifestyle for granted and feeling superior to all other nations, I do not want to adjust. However, I am still hoping to integrate to the point where I once again feel useful and truly connected to people here. (Maybe when school starts... :) )
Knowing what you know now, would you have studied abroad? Would you have chosen Chile?
Definitely. Yes and yes. As much as I still want to see Europe and Australia (along with all of the other "typical study abroad destinations") there will be time for that. I feel this was a rare opportunity to see South America. (While I would not hesitate to return to Chile now, I previously shared the US mentality that South America is "dangerous" and thus would have been hesitant to go there "blind," - without the security of a study abroad program.) Also, while several of my fellow English majors chose to spend time in Great Britain, I have been practicing my English for 20 years now and felt it was time for a change.
If you had to do it all over again, what would you change and why?
I would have asked for a family with children; this would have greatly contributed to the “family environment” in the home. My family at home is always going places and spending time together (my neighbor refers to us as “The Brady Bunch”) and I really missed this in Chile. Friends who lived with host families with small children were able to enjoy more of these family activities.
What was your favorite class/who was your favorite professor? Why?
I really enjoyed my "Picaresque Spanish Novel" class; the professor was insanely difficult, the work was much too hard, and the material was completely worthwhile. Tapping his marker impatiently against his podium the first day, Dr. Miguel Donoso announced that this class was NOT for foreign students, and that they would probably fail miserably. He invited us to leave. The four exchange students (one from England, three others from the States) squirmed in our seats. Yet I decided to stick it out. Our first assignment, a 900-page book written in practically incomprehensible Old Spanish, sent us scrambling for English translations on the Internet. However, when none were found, I had to grit my teeth and struggle through the book. The feeling of satisfaction when I passed that test was amazing.
Though Dr. Donoso ignored us at first, brushing off our attempts to be friendly and shaking his head when we tried to answer questions in class, I think he eventually began to respect us for our persistence. “Your Spanish has improved greatly throughout the course of the semester,” read an email he sent me last week. “I have enjoyed having you as a student.”
How would you compare classes abroad to those at home?
They were much more difficult for me because they were in Spanish, however, content-wise, the content was easier than in my classes at St. Norbert. In my theology class, for example, we were only expected to take two tests throughout the course of the semester, and occasionally watched movies instead of having class. Of course, all the of the classes were still worthwhile, but (considering Universidad Catolica is referred to as the “Harvard of Chile) I think US classes are comparatively more difficult.
What did you miss most about America?
As much as I enjoyed improving my Spanish, I missed the ease of communication. Finding my way around a new city and university sometimes posed problems, and building new relationships requires effort, but I enjoy a challenge and rarely got tired of navigating or meeting new people. However, I did get tired of trying to think of just the right words to tell my host mom about the hostal we had stayed in, or to describe a character's actions on a literature test, etc. etc. There was never really a break. Even when in a stressful situation, I could not resort to English; I had to cope in Spanish.
Do you feel like a different person now? Do you think studying abroad has changed you in any permanent ways?
I am probably more globally aware and less blinded by the US mentality that we are the best and (due to economic and technological inferiority) other countries are less important, etc. I feel that I can now truly appreciate what we enjoy here after observing the conditions in various South American countries. We take so much for granted. I also now know that I can do much more than I thought I could. Braving Class IV rapids, leaving everything I’d ever known, eating guinea pig, looking incompetent and looking to others for guidance, surviving mugging and robbery, navigating in five South American countries, taking normal university classes completely in another language…I never imagined what I could accomplish in five months. I feel empowered now; I can definitely do more than I thought I could.
Do you ever think you’ll become entirely adjusted to life back in America? Do you even want to be?
If being “adjusted” means once again taking our lavish lifestyle for granted and feeling superior to all other nations, I do not want to adjust. However, I am still hoping to integrate to the point where I once again feel useful and truly connected to people here. (Maybe when school starts... :) )
Knowing what you know now, would you have studied abroad? Would you have chosen Chile?
Definitely. Yes and yes. As much as I still want to see Europe and Australia (along with all of the other "typical study abroad destinations") there will be time for that. I feel this was a rare opportunity to see South America. (While I would not hesitate to return to Chile now, I previously shared the US mentality that South America is "dangerous" and thus would have been hesitant to go there "blind," - without the security of a study abroad program.) Also, while several of my fellow English majors chose to spend time in Great Britain, I have been practicing my English for 20 years now and felt it was time for a change.
If you had to do it all over again, what would you change and why?
I would have asked for a family with children; this would have greatly contributed to the “family environment” in the home. My family at home is always going places and spending time together (my neighbor refers to us as “The Brady Bunch”) and I really missed this in Chile. Friends who lived with host families with small children were able to enjoy more of these family activities.
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