Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Cadiz: the essential concentration of spain Past Review

By (University of Denver) - abroad from 09/10/2015 to 12/20/2015 with

API (Academic Programs International): Cadiz - Universidad de Cadiz

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to be alone really well and how to keep myself occupied when there is nothing to do.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes were low key compared with my US classes but still were interesting with enthusiastic professors.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Vicki is exceptional and made this program what it was. She is caring, compassionate, fun, friendly, and very kind.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Host family was friendly and accommodating and made me feel welcome.

* Food:

Spanish food is inherently not great. Top that with any dietary restriction and you are going to have a hard time here, period. Get ready for minimal fruit/veg and maximum cured/processed meat, oil, and more meat.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We all had a hard time making local connections as international students can get isolated to only hanging out with other international students (though most were not American so you still were experiencing a new culture).

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Cadiz is very safe, I never once felt unsafe, even when walking through the streets late at night and alone.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I personally think I would have done much better in a larger city with more to do, places to see, and people to meet. Cadiz was a bit too small for my taste.

Finances

* 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)

Living with a host family kept costs low

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $80-$120 depending on the week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? no

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Complete immersion, taking classes with local university students, minimal english knowledge throughout the town, host family that only spoke spanish.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced
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? upper division spanish
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? Take as many spanish classes as you can, review Vosotros grammar, and generally just keep up with your use to prepare for the immersion.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Vicki was fabulous and made the best of a tough situation for me
  • I improved my spanish exponentially
  • I knew the town like the back of my hand.
* What could be improved?
  • The food was less than desirable
  • There is very little to do outside of classes
  • Travel was difficult because the town is so far away from any major hubs
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Cadiz is really small, intimate, and isolated so if you are expecting to do a lot of travel, meet a lot of new people, or have a lot to do, you are going to have a hard time. Local students mostly live outside of town and go straight home after classes so you will mostly spend time with other international students. You will walk A LOT because it is one of the only pastimes if you don't want to go out (people stay out until around 6 am the next day).

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!