Past Review
By Ha Eun N (Linguistics, Rice University) for
API (Academic Programs International): Granada - Universidad de Granada
Yes. This study abroad experience helped me to decide on a second major and gave me a broader outlook on what I would like to do after college.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Granada |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Workload was very light compared to my home university. I liked the teaching methods which were mainly discussion and included a lot of involvement on the part of the students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were locals who could speak English and were almost always accessible, very friendly and helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with an American roommate close to the central part of the city within walking distance to everything, which was awesome. The neighborhood was considered to be quite safe. <br /><br /> I was very satisfied with my living arrangements and my host family. It was rather small compared to what I was used to in the U.S., but not inconvenient. I only needed to buy my own toiletries. |
| * Food: |
I loved the food, and I always had enough to eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I attended almost all the cultural events and field trips set up by my program abroad and enjoyed every moment of all of them. I will especially never forget my visit to Rome. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt safe enough to walk around with friends at night, but not safe enough to walk alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 40 dollars more or less. Food was provided by my host family and transportation was not needed. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I tried to save as much as possible by not going out every single night like some students did while abroad. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 201 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I lived with a host family and this helped me a lot with the language because I could hear and actively use the language every day. Most local people could not speak or understand English, which helped me a lot as well. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Don't be afraid to interact with locals and use your badly-lacking language skills. Most people are more than willing to help you and it is the best way to learn and effectively practice the language. |
