Alicante: An Authentic Spanish Experience Past Review
By Lori T (Spanish and Iberian Studies., Trinity University) for
CIEE: Alicante - Liberal Arts
Absolutely. It changed me and my outlook on life and the world. I benefited so much from my experience and I miss it a lot. I want to go back to Alicante and Spain and work there because I loved it so much.
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? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I appreciate the American school system much more now that I have been abroad because Spanish school system is very structured but provides very little personal guidance. The professor lectures one class a week and then you go over practice assignments one class a week. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Overall, the people in the program administration were caring, friendly, and helpful. Because of the small program size, they wanted to spend time getting to know you and were willing to go out of the way to help you. I wish that the direct enrollment coordinating process had included more guidance in helping with the course registration process. It would have been nice to know more about the different classes available through direct enrollment and which ones were appropriate for students in the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host family! They were wonderful and were one of my favorite parts of my study abroad experience. I spent a lot of time with them but I am really glad I did. I lived in a great location right near downtown which I really liked. The program does a great job of coordinating homestays; the coordinator is really nice and understanding. |
| * Food: |
It was a great experience for me to not be afraid to try new foods. It was a little frustrating sometimes to not have the variety and independence to eat whatever I wanted, like in America. My host mom was a great cook though. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved spending time with my Spanish friends. One of my favorite experiences was going to ice skate around Christmas time in the outdoors ice rink the city sets up in the central plaza. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in the city, even by myself at night. There was a shooting one time down the street, which was a huge deal because these are very rare in Spain. However, it was easily taken care of by the police and never happens on a regular basis. Pickpocketing was only an issue if you were in crowded places at night and were not careful with your things, but I never experienced any pickpocketing, although I knew people that did. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I didn't need to spend much money since my hostmom provided all of my meals. I only spent money on food when I traveled. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Set aside money for transportation, like bus money, because it adds up quickly and is a continuous expense throughout the semester. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Spanish improves through practice, but you will get to do a lot of that in Alicante because few people speak English. |
| 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?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | I think a student who wants a very 'normal' Spanish experience would like this program. I loved Alicante and my program because I felt like I got a really authentic experience of life as a Spaniard. |
