Alicante: A slice of heaven to study in! Past Review
By Bret K (Chemical Engineering, Purdue University) for
CIEE: Alicante - Language & Culture
I saw great and new aspects of family life and a social norm unlike the typical suburban culture found in america. I have always loved to travel and I admit studying abroad was a great excuse for me to visit over 7 new countries and locations. This summer I will be applying to mostly interships out of the country.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was very similar in my opinion of that of a foreign language class taken at my home institution. The teaching methods were rather different, in a sense I had never been in a class spoken only in another language. This helped tremendously even though my Spanish vocabulary was still quite small. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was incredible helpful both in and out of the classroom. Whether it was helping me plan a weekend adventure or answer a question about the town, they would always search for the best answer. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was incredible close to the night life. I stayed on the first floor in a reasonable sized apartment close to plaza de torroz. I common meeting place for all our events. I could not of asked for a better situation. My madre had a dog and a grandson who often stayed over almost every day, he was 18 so close to my age and he would practice his english while I practiced my spanish. |
| * Food: |
Always had plently of food. A little meant a plateful in the household I stayed in. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I meet incredible friends, even ones from my home institution who I now hang out with regularly. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I always felt safe in the city no matter what hour of night, however I am a man so it could be different for a woman. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced with other students, often the ones I hung out with the most outside of class. I certainly used the host language daily, talking to strangers or ordering drinks on the way to the beach. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Get out and apply yourself. You will not have fun sitting around the house sleeping or studying all day. Spend time outside and get to know some friends, that's what makes the experience memorable. |
