¡Te amo Cadiz! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Direct enrollment was hard because the Spanish education system (how classes are set up, what grades mean, etc) is so different, but my "educational" experience obviously wasn't just limited to the classroom. I feel like I actually ended up learning more outside of my classes (with my host family, from conversations with non-American students, through traveling, etc).

On-site administration of your program

Vicky MAKES this program what it is. I would've felt so much more confused and less at-home without her. I always knew I could go to her with any question or concern and she'd do EVERYTHING to help me, no matter how big or small of an issue it was.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Living with a host family is a crucial part of the program! Vicky paired me carefully with my host family and we got along incredibly well. They did a really good job including me in everything AND still allowing me to feel like I could do my own thing.

Both my host parents were great cooks, and occasionally even took us out for delicious meals!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Social integration is what you make of it. The more effort you put in to get to know people, reach out to make friends and keep in touch with them, etc, the more you'll feel integrated into the community. I would also recommend looking for clubs/activities to participate in regularly: I joined a local swim team and met lots of gaditanos through it!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Experienced very few health issues

Cadiz is very, very safe. You can walk home alone at any hour of the night without encountering any trouble. Just use common sense!

If you're looking to improve your Spanish, relax in a laidback and very friendly town, learn about Spain and its culture, get to know Spaniards and other international students alike, participate in a small program w/ individualized attention, eat well, live with a Spanish family, etc, do the API Cadiz program!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Cadiz is cheap and we loved it! It is very easy to explore the city, go out with friends, etc without spending very much money. The only thing that was a bit trickier was travel: because Cadiz doesn't have its own airport (generally you need to fly out of Jerez or Sevilla), travel takes a bit longer, and you sometimes end up spending more money than you would going from a big city.

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

We always spoke Spanish with Vicky and our host families.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The city of Cadiz
• The direct-enrollment component
• The support from Vicky and other API staff

• More warning about the fact that we finish our semester earlier than all other students - this was a stressor I was not anticipating
• More organization surrounding excursions (i.e. having dates on the calendar right from the start)
• More interaction with other students - since the program is small, it would be cool to set up social activities with other student groups

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer