Granada: Amazing to say the least Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was very duable. It depends on what program you're enrolled in because I wasn't in culture or literature classes. I was only in Spanish language classes and so all I needed to do was study throughout the whole month and practice my Spanish in the city and with my host family and before an exam i would be good to go. the grading is between 1-10 with 1 being failing and 10 being a perfect A which is pretty impossible to get if you are learning a language and aren't fluent yet. however, a 9 is also an A. The difference between my host and american university is just that the teachers, being from Spain themselves, were way better at teaching the language in different ways than the teachers here.

On-site administration of your program

The programs strengths would be that they were always available and that they always had valuable information for us. they also set aside trips for us to take us to different places in Europe. They were always on top of getting things done and had answers to all of our problems. The program size wasn't too big and they were able to learn all of us on a first name basis pretty well. All my expectations were definitely met with API.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Choosing two different housing arrangements is because I stayed with a host family. It was a mother and her two daughters and it was a very valuable experience. I didn't need anything in my host family, but some people did need certain things like towels or soap in theirs. I also stayed with a local guy however who I became real close with. We would always go on trips together and to tapas etc so it was easier sometimes for me to stay in his apartment with him and his roommates. I was treated very kindly in my host family and the food and service given was amazing.

My meals were always big enough to fill me up and if I ever had a meal where my host mom or sisters felt I wouldn't be full they always offered me more food. you will find that in Spain you will constantly be asked if you want more food. Tapas are huge in Spain and if you study in Granada the tapas are free!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I went on trips to other cities in Spain and also to Paris, France. Paris was breathtaking and more than I ever imagined. My program took us on that trip over a weekend from a Thursday to a Sunday and it was well worth the experience with everything we did. I also went on trips with my Spanish friends which sometimes were way more fun than ones my program took us on. We got to practice the language the whole time and experience things from the culture itself in the locals.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Granada is a very safe city and I didn't see or hear of any problems in Granada. I myself had to experience the healthcare system because I was hospitilized for 4 days in the hospital and my program directors and host mom always came to visit me and make sure I understood the doctors and was getting taken care of. The hospital was really nice and so was the room I was in. My Spanish friend and another American girl I became close with stayed with me in the hospital the whole time I was in there.

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

I practiced my language with my Spanish friends who I became close with and then a lot in my classes.

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• Host Family
• Apartment

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• Local Students
• Host Family

• Everything

• nothing