Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The best four months of my life, no question. Past Review

By (Biology/Spanish, St. Mary's College of Maryland) - abroad from 01/20/2014 to 05/23/2014 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely the best four months of my life. I gained confidence, I became a happier and more relaxed person and my Spanish skills improved immensely.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

I wasn't a big fan of the food my host mom made. We rarely ate meat except ham hotdogs or sausage and we rarely ate vegetables. I had requested healthy food so I was a bit frustrated at times.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was great that we had the option to live with a host family and there were a lot of volunteer opportunities that helped us integrate into the culture. However, our school was completely separated from the actual University of Granada so I was surrounded by all Americans. This made it very difficult to make Spanish friends and to get integrated into the life of Spanish youth.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

My roommate went to the doctor in February and to this day, still doesn't have her money back and she has completed all the steps in order to receive her money back several times.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Granada was cheap, I spent most of my money on extra traveling!

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 20-40 euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you are doing extra traveling make sure you budget your money ahead of time. It's not just the flight and hostel that you have to pay for, there's also every form of transportation in between, any activity you do or souvenir you buy and food!

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

I wished we had been surrounded by Spanish students and not just other English speaking Americans

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
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? 363
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? Make friends with younger people an try to hang out with them as much as possible. When you can have a confident, social, conversation with people your own age, that's when you can say you're really fluent.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Directors
  • Host family
  • Location
* What could be improved?
  • School location
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how fast it was going to go because it went faster than I ever could've imagined.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.