A Journey Through Spain Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

All of the professors were very knowledgeable and the university itself offered a great array of resources both through the University of Alcala and the Franklin Institute. The city also offered a very large and useful library which offered free Wi-Fi (if you signed up for a library card, also free) which was greatly beneficial.

On-site administration of your program

There were a few CIEE administrators that helped with the program, but there was one administrator that was with the group the most and almost always available. She made herself available through e-mail, FaceBook, and regular office hours. She would help students with travel questions, advice, emotional support, and would travel with students during the scheduled CIEE excursions in Spain.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Many people try to make it an effort to go out and go to restaurants to find "authentic" Spanish food, but I would really encourage you to ask your host family to make their favorite meals for you. Sit in the kitchen and watch them cook, even!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Alcala offers so much in terms of authentic Spanish cuisine, Spanish culture (it is the birthplace of Cervantes and they are proud of it!), and Spanish history. There are festivals regularly, there are museums, and there are local sporting clubs that you can support. If you don't feel connected with the local culture, it's because you don't look hard enough!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Not applicable. I had no need to use health care facilities. The only medical issue I had was my asthma which was remedied by a trip to the pharmacy to buy over-the-counter medication.

While in Alcala, there were no reported major crimes and I personally never felt unsafe in the city, despite being out during the nighttime hours. The city is well-lit and quite active during all hours of the day.

This program was absolutely phenomenal. Being close to Madrid made travel so easy to ANYWHERE in Spain. I went to Barcelona, Toledo, Zaragoza, Sevilla, Segovia, Valencia, Granada, and explored Madrid extensively... With the travel fees within the autonomous community of Madrid already taken care of through CIEE, I did not need to worry about train rides to Madrid, metro rides around Madrid, or buses to Madrid, from Madrid, within Madrid, or within Alcala. The only travel fees were ones I willingly accepted (AVE/bullet train, out of Madrid bus fare, and local airplane charter.) My host family was absolutely phenomenal, they were supportive, they helped me with my Spanish, they took me to local cultural events. The school was phenomenal. The city offered so much in terms of culture. There was nothing to regret about this trip. It was fantastic from top to bottom.

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

The city is incredibly cheap. You're close to Madrid and if you go through this program, your travel fees within the autonomous community of Madrid (and the city of Toledo) are covered in your fees, so that really helps.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

The professors would ONLY use Spanish, my host family would ONLY use Spanish (despite knowing English), and the program excursions were all within Spain to promote the use of Spanish.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans

• The culture
• The friends
• The traveling

• Not applicable
• Not applicable
• Not applicable

The Academic or Linguist