I Want to Go Back to Granada Past Review
By Samantha Hipe (Arcadia University) - abroad from 02/01/2016 to 05/24/2016 with
Arcadia: Granada - Arcadia in Granada
It was completely worth it. I learned that I can survive in a city where I don't know anyone or the language
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The schooling given by Arcadia was great as well as that given by the Universidad de Granada. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Loved! I love the administration that is there. Eugenia and Marta are so helpful and super nice and willing to work with you |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment was okay. It was nice to have a room to myself , but the kitchen was much too small for the 6 of us and I wish we had had a shared area |
| * Food: |
Always excellent! Personally I don't like it when the shrimp is looking at me while I eat, but to each their own |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Had I been in a homestay I probably would ave been even further integrated and if I had taken more classes at the CLM then I would have gotten more of a sense of what the culture was like, but I did also experience the culture on my own and I got help from the administrators to find more opportunities. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was super easy! Because it was a socialized healthcare it worked so much better than you'll find in the United States. The health insurance also covered seeing a therapist which is super helpful especially since I fight depression and anxiety |
| * Safety: |
I never felt like I was going to be hurt at any time. I felt so safe walking around by myself and exploring |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would choose the same program, but go about it differently. I would have chosen to live in a homestay and I would have chosen to take more culture classes at the CLM than the environmental classes that were offered by the Arcadia Center |
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? | 1500 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't always go out to eat. Find some recipes and cook them in your apartment |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I was required to take a Spanish class even if I wasn't in Spain to study Spanish |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 202 |
| 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? | Don't be afraid to try and speak Spanish even if you are shaky on it. They will appreciate it and try to help you say what you need to say |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That I could have taken more classes at the CLM |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
