Past Review
By Lisa S (Journalism., University of Hartford) for
API (Academic Programs International): Madrid - Suffolk University
it was definately worth while, i met so many great people and did so many great things i learned a lot about myself and became a more confident individual
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2010 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
most of my professors were really good and positive, one professor I did not enjoy so the class was not enjoyable and the workload was way to much to handle for a class outside my major. it was too much lecture |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
they were usually helpful but some of the excursions were a little unorganized and sometimes they seemed like they didnt care about concerns and take us seriously especially for the american students |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
my housing was in the perfect location and my house was really nice. it was a short 5 minute walk to the metro and about a 30 ride to school. it was in the middle of puerto de sol which was close to all these bars and clubs and i could pretty much walk anywhere. |
| * Food: |
my host mom was a really good cook, but overall the food in spain was ok. i didnt eat out that much, but tapas are really good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
i made friends right away, the trips we took were all great, the people in my program were really nice i had a great time right away. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
i felt safe i didnt have any problems, and if anyone got sick or had to go to the doctor the program director took them. |
| 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? | i traveled almost every weekend so i spent more than most students but overall when i did stay in madrid i would spend about a hundred euros on food, drink, going out etc per week. i ate at home a lot so i saved money that way. per month i probably spent about a 1000 euros because i traveled. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | the monthly metro pass was about 50 a month, just make sure you budget know how much money you have and know what you want to do when your abroad and figure out a way to do them on a budget. |
Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
i lived in a family, and by just listening to people speak spanish every day i picked up on a lot of things and not many people spoke english so i was forced to speak spanish on an every day basis. |
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? | keep an open mind and do not be afraid to put yourself out there, you will have the time of your life. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
history |
| Course Department: | hst150 |
| Instructor: | hector cazull santiago |
| Instruction Language: | english |
| Comments: | very boring and way to much work. kept us over the time limit as well, i participated less because it was a very boring class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no, not that i know of. |
