Livin' la Vida Alicantina Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses I took through CIEE were fantastic. The teachers were so great, and the classes were a maximum of 7 students. We all formed relationships with the teachers and were really sad to leave them at the end of the semester. They really wanted us to learn Spanish and immerse ourselves in the culture.Many classes we just talked about where we had travelled the previous weekend or told stories about our host families to practice our speaking skills. We laughed during every class and the attitude was laid back and welcoming. The class I took directly in the University (which is mandatory for this program) was relatively hard. The class was all Spaniards, and the teacher did not really appreciate foreigners in the class. However, other students in my program took other University classes that they liked better. The one thing that is completely different from the US is the grading system. In my CIEE classes, there was a midterm, final, and final project, but attendance and participation counted toward the grade. The University class was based solely on two papers and a final exam. They do not give homework or small assignments throughout the semester, so your grade is only those 3 factors, which I do not like. However, this is the European system in general, not just Alicante or Spain.

On-site administration of your program

The main thing to keep in mind about the administration is that Spaniards are very different than Americans. They are extremely laid back, and this translates into every aspect of life, including work. Before I left the US, I had emailed one of the administrators about the University class, and never got a response, which made me nervous and upset. However, on arriving to Alicante and meeting the person I emailed, I realized it was unintentional, and my question was answered durin orientation. At times I felt that the director didn't do enough for our program, but I think it is a question of culture and not to be taken personally. On the other hand, the director of student services, who organized many activities for us, was available to answer all of our questions, help us with whatever we needed, go to the doctor with us, and serve as a bridge between Spanish and English- she was incredibly helpful. The program was relatively big- 35 students, and there were also two other programs with CIEE. The one weakness I felt was the rift between the 3 programs, but with a group so large, it was hard to get to know absoluely everybody. I feel that I made realationships with everybody in my own program, and am very happy about that. Overall, my expectations were exceeded by a mile. I loved my program, family, teachers, and life in Alicante- I can't imagine a better experience in another city.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

CIEE gave the option of living in a dorm or a host family, and gave us a questionare in order to match us with families. I lived on one of the main streets in Alicante, which was about a 7 minute walk to the center and 20 minute walk to the beach. Although living on such a busy street was new for me and a little loud at night, I felt safe walking home at nighttime because there were lights, cars, and people around. I would not have liked having to walk up small side streets or alleys to get home at night. I was a little surprised at first at the appearence of the city, because I had the idea in my head of the typical picturesque European town. However, Alicante is a city, and looks like one. There are beautiful parts, and parts that are not so beautiful, but that did not detract from my experience at all. I liked that it is a small enough city that everything was walking distance- we did not have to pay for metros to get from one part to another, and could get to any store within 15 minutes. However, the University was a 25-30 minute bus ride away. Luckily for me my apartment building was directly across the street from the bus stop, so it was really easy to get to and from the bus. My host family was fantastic and gave me everything I needed and more. The first day I was there, my host mom said "this is your house, you're at home!"which was very comforting. I never felt like I was intruding on them, always felt included in meals and activities, and yet had all the freedom I wanted. I only know 3 people in my program who were not fully happy with their families, but they were able to switch. Living with a host family was a little nerve-wracking at first, but ended up being the best choice.

Spanish mothers love to cook for their kids, friends, guests, etc. Most people in my program commented that their madres gave them so much food they couldn't fit in their jeans by the end of the semester! Spanish food is incredibly fresh, and very good. My host mom loved to make me special Spanish foods so I could try them, and made even the simplest foods so delicious. Compared to my dining hall food, it was heaven. We didn't typically go out to eat, since meals at home were free, but the best places by far were on the Rambla or in the Barrio. The bars and restaurants were all there.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The best part of my abroad experience was making new friends and doing "Spanishy" things with them. We would go to a certain tapas bar and fill the entire second floor, talking and laughing until it closed. We had wine tastings with our Wine and Gastronomy class, trips to other cities with our Spanish Art class, and use the fun colloquial phrases we learned in our Colloquial Spanish class (which always amused the Spanish people we said them to). The nightlife in Alicante is different than the major cities, in a good way. Someone always organized something within the group, so we would all meet to go out together. It's impossible to explain all the good times we had together.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

While Alicante is a safer city than others (ie Barcelona), it is still a city with tourists and those who rob tourists. When you go to the beach, someone must always watch your stuff- especially bags. The beach is a huge area for tourists, which makes it a target for thefts. Also, when you go out at night to the crowded bars/clubs, it is important to keep your stuff in a safe place. Many bags are easy to reach into, and pockets are even easier. Many girls would wear a small shoulder bag that had a flap to close it, and turn it around so that the flap was against their bodies. Boys should keep most of their things in the front pockets instead of the back. It wasn't common, but people did get phones or money stolen. It's really important to pay attention to those things and always keep your bag where you can see it.

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

Almost nobody outside of the students in our program spoke English: the teachers, our host families, and the locals all speak only Spanish. This meant that we spoke Spanish all day, every day for the most part. I feel that I am basically fluent in Spanish now- I can understand everything people say, and can hold a conversation and be understood. Alicante is a great city for language learning because they don't speak with a heavy accent (like in the far south of Spain), they don't speak a dialect (like in Barcelona), and the majority of the people do not speak English (like in all the major cities: Madrid, Barcelona, etc) so you are forced to use Spanish. If your goal of studying abroad is to become fluent in Spanish, this is the best program and place.

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• The classes
• dynamic of the group
• Availability to travel

• inte-program relations
• trips (sevilla/valencia)
• direct enrollment course selection