Past Review
By Elvin C (Economics., The University of Texas at Austin) for
CIEE: Alicante - Language & Culture
I really want to continue improving my spanish, it made me realize how important and amazing it is to be able to communicate in 2 different languages, It really opens up so many opportunities. Also, the Spanish culture is alot more relaxed and it made me really take a step back from what i used to consider important, i was always looking at the next step, while not enjoying the process and the friends/experiences along the way.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad de Alicante |
| 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. |
Everything was well organized, i feel like there was a little to much oversight by the program's administration about what we did. We all came over to Spain alone, and i felt like we could have been given a "looser leash" instead of them watching us so strictly in regards to school, attendance etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everything was very accessible, the program was small enough, all the administrators knew each student by name, the door to the office was always open and i felt like i could go in at anytime to ask questions about anything: school, personal travel, etc. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in the barrio "campoamor" in Plaza America. My family was amazing and i couldnt have asked for much more. I had a brother and a mother and father, they treated me like i was part of their family and i never felt uncomfortable from the moment i arrived, if i had encountered an issue i would not have been afraid to approach them about it at all. Food was great and i really improved my Spanish because of my stay with them. <br /><br /> |
| * Food: |
If you dont want to stuff yourself dont be afraid to tell your madre that you are full, mine would keep putting food in front of me until i was stuffed. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Las Hogueras!!! All program planned excursions were awesome. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
You just have to be aware of your surrounding, just like everywhere you travel. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No, just make sure to factor in the exchange rate when planning your money situation, it will fluctuate while you are there so what may have equaled 100 euro at the beginning might not be the same towards the end. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Dont worry about rest, especially if you go in the summer, you can sleep when you come back home. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Intermediate Spanish Language |
| Course Department: | SPAN 2010 |
| Instructor: | Irene Martinez Jimenez |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | It was very challenging for me, especially when we began to cover new material. I thought it was a very helpful class to learn grammar concepts, but it did little to help we with my spoken language, that practice came only outside of class, with my family and spanish friends i had met. I think the class should focus on conversation alot more. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Spain and the European Union |
| Course Department: | ECON/POLI 3001 |
| Instructor: | Rafael Valor Navarro |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Very interesting course, i came away with alot of knowledge about Spain's political structure and how it is interconnected with all of Europe. Great teacher as well. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
