Studying Abroad: A Peruvian Experience! | Moquegua

Moquegua

Studying Abroad: A Peruvian Experience!

by Emma H. Thomas

Why Study Abroad?

Enhance your cultural competence

  • Studying abroad gived you the opportunity to see the larger world and put your life and viewpoints in perspective.
  • It also allows you to make friends with various backgrounds and from various countries, truly making you a better global citizen.

Practice a Language

  • Studying Abroad gives you the opportunity to practice a language that you may be interested in developing further.
  • Peru is a great place to practice the Spanish language! Before I went to Peru for three months I had an average proficiency in Spanish and I know that my Spanish has since certainly improved immensely. Most people that I met in Peru were very patient with me, and were very understanding when I asked them to repeat themselves if I couldn’t understand.

Best chance to travel in your youth

  • It is less expensive than traveling independent of a University. Take the advantage of traveling now… It will save you money!
  • When traveling abroad through school, you have a wider support system abroad because you are affiliated with the University. It can be safer for this reason!
  • It is great for graduate school! Graduate programs love to see that you have wider cultural experiences than your own and that you are interested in being involved in academia on a global scale.

Getting There

Scholarships

  • The Gilman International Scholarship is a great resource. To receive this scholarship, you must propose a Follow-On project proposal that includes what you will do to “give back” one you return home.
  • The Archaeological Institute of America gives a handful of scholarships to junior and senior undergraduates and first year graduate students who will be going on their first archaeological dig. This scholarship is great for the aspiring archaeologist! Check out the details of the Jane C. Waldbaum Field School Scholarship.
  • UNCG’s IPC Study Abroad program offers a Travel Grant to certain eligible students. Check with the staff at IPC for more information.

Plane Tickets

  • Be sure to do research on the best day of the week to buy your tickets, as certain days of the week often offer better prices.
  • Also be sure to look at multiple city options when flying from the US (Perhaps if you stayed with your grandmother in New York the week beofre your trip and flew out of an airport nearer to her, the fare would be cheaper?).
  • Think about if you want to travel abroad independently after your studies are over. Plan this into your travel itinerary or decide if getting a flexible ticket is worth the money and convenience.
  • Look at student travel websites for potential deals, sometimes they offer cheaper tickets!
  • Remember that if you receive the Gilman Scholarship, they will only fund plane tickets that have you flying on US carriers and operators for certain legs of the trip. Do your research and make sure that the tickets you buy place you on appropriate US Carriers if you plan to use the Gilman Scholarship to fund your plane ticket.
  • Make sure your layover will give you enough time to get where you need to be without rushing… This is not the time to be stressed and running!

Plan Ahead

  • As soon as you know you are going abroad, start saving so that you can visit any sights you may want to visit and purchase any souvenirs you might like!
  • An ISIC Student Insurance card is great for insurance and it also gives you discounts for one year after the date of purchase (i.e. Amtrak, etc.).

In the Airport

  • Be sure that when you enter Peru they stamp you with the right amount of days for visiting! Speak with Dr. Nash to be sure exactly how many days you should request in the airport.

Before You Leave Remember To:

Have your Money and Accounts Ready to Go

  • Tell all of your banks that you will be traveling. Let them know about all of your locations and the corresponding dates so that they do not stop your credit or debit card services.
  • Bring some US Bills ($20s are great) so that you can change them for soles at the market in Peru. Be sure to go to your bank before leaving and get bills that are fresh and crisp and have no marks on them. The money changers in Peru are picky and will not take bills that they think may be counterfeit (i.e. bills that are ripped or marked).
  • Check with your bank about their international withdrawal and ATM fees so that you can plan accordingly!

Things You Might Want to Bring:

Important Items for the Dig

  • SPF Chapstick (this is hard to find in Peru!).
  • Strong SPF Sunscreeen. You will be surprised at how quickly you will burn at higher altitudes and closer to the equator. Be prepared!

Important Other Items

  • A pocket knife or a Leatherman tool… You will be surprised how useful this can be!
  • Your own medicine cabinet. I found that it is much easier to already have a few medicines with you when you get sick than to have to go out and purchase medicine in Spanish once you become ill.
  • Coffee. If you love good coffee, make sure you pack your favorite brew. The only coffee to be found in Moquegua is instant, so bring your own!
  • A luggage lock for peace of mind in the airport. It is also useful to put on your purse or bag zipper when caught in a really thick crowd (i.e. shopping in the market). I did this with my luggage lock and did not feel worried about my camera and money as I waded through the market scene.
  • Perhaps your laptop. I have a small netbook that I wish I had taken to Peru! It would have been really useful in places where I could have picked up wireless internet.

Be Prepared To:

  • Barter in the market to search for a good deal (It is expected!).
  • Throw your toilet paper in the trash… Do not flush it!
  • Brush your teeth with bottled water.
  • Have less access to internet… Internet cafes are your best bet for communication via internet or phone and you might not be able to make it there every day.
  • Plan around siesta. During the mid-day rest period most shops close down so don’t expect to do all of your important shopping or sight-seeing in the hours after lunch time.

What Studying Abroad Has Meant to Me

My summer in Peru was an amazing one, not only because of the archaeological dig and the independent research I was able to conduct, but also because of the amazing culture in which I found myself embedded. Studying abroad in Peru is truly a unique experience, and was filled with many wonderful activites and new friends. I met amazing archaeologists and townspeople and got to see the best of Peru: its people and its landscape. My study abroad experience has bolstered my application to graduate school and given me many ideas as I continue down my path to further my education. The skills that I learned as an archaeologist and as a travel abroad student have changed my life by giving me future opportunities and by enhancing my world perspective. I feel certain that I have come away from this experience as more well-rounded and capable person.