Granada Spain- The best semester of my life! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Overall this experience thus far has been amazing. The workload hasn't been too heavy at all, in fact it's a lot lighter and much easier than my university in the states. The teaching methods are pretty strong. My Spanish courses are taught solely in Spanish, which is very helpful to allow me to learn. I am definitely learning a lot through my University here in Granada and would do this all over again in a heart beat! If I could stay longer I would, however I wish to graduate on time and most universities abroad do not have many courses for my major (psychology).

On-site administration of your program

Our administrators open us up to a lot of opportunities besides just the ones we have signed up for with CEA. The people who work for the program know a lot about this city and want to give us the full experience of what it has to offer.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I live in an apartment and I have to say the location is excellent. Though it is a bit far from some events, it has one of the most beautiful views of the Alhambra right outside of my window! People of Granada say that my neighborhood (Albyzin) is one you need to be careful in. However I have yet to experience any issues. I have grown to love my neighborhood and all of the people in it. I feel safe, at home, and a good distance to school, nightlife, and other friends. I will say that the size of the apartment is quite small for 3 people (2 girls, 1 boy) to live in, especially sharing one bathroom. When I saw other apartments that students from the program live in, I felt shocked to see how huge theirs were. Again however, we make it work and love our location! Our apartment provided us with many items. The only thing I can think of that we don't have are AC/Heat.

I have learned to love Spanish cuisine! I have also learned to cook quite a bit of it. I wish to learn more. A close friend of my has dietary restrictions and she has seemed to have any problems with the food. The food is inexpensive and usually of good quality. I have fallen in love with a few restaurants here.. Cafe Futbol is number 1!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The program has provided us with many different events and attractions. We have seen a lot of cultural events that Spain has to offer and still have more to come. We get emails about more things for us to see and they're all optional, but I'd advise going to as many as possible. We've also been made aware of sports through our university, which was very fun!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I haven't has any issues.

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

I practice Spanish with my roommates, friends I have met here, and people throughout the city. It is something I must use every day and all of my teachers encourage us to do so. Most people here in Granada speak Spanish, yet as I have been traveling around Spain this semester I have noticed more english in bigger cities such as Madrid and Barcelona.

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• Dorm
• Apartment
• Host Family

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• Americans

• Experiences
• Privacy/Respect
• Culture

• Information on website about excursions with program (2 in country/1 out of country--we did not have out of country)