Study abroad = become more independent+ culturally aware Past Review
By yesenia l (speech lanuguage pathology, University of the Pacific) for
CIEE: Alicante - Liberal Arts
The experience was completely worth my time.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program CIEE was great only thing I would comment on is that students should be pushed more to only speak Spanish (If necessary, its okay to speak English at times)and if he doesn't, he or she has to be held responsible for his or her actions. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Only thing that I disliked about the dorms was the food. |
| * Food: |
Im not a picky eater, but I literally lived off bread, french fires and yogurt. Actually once in a while there would be some thing delicious, but other than that the food was disgusting. (to give you an idea the fish they would offer still had eyes in the sockets and the outer layer of its skin still attached. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
|
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I'm not sure how much I would spend in a week, but overall around $5,000 (total). |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | n/a |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPAN 133 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced the language a lot with my friends in the dorms. I would use the language in everyday interactions but there were some people in the program that would speak English thus making it hard to respond in Spanish. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | As a personal experience, I believe anyone can travel abroad that wants to: gain more knowledge of the different culture, travel, or to try to improve the person one is. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Spain through its popular culture |
| Course Department: | HISP |
| Instructor: | Luis Lopez Belda |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The class wasn't challenging due to the fact that it was just a matter of understanding the material that was presented in class. The professor was knowledgeable. I tried to participate whenever given the chance. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Literature and Film: Two Genres in One |
| Course Department: | Litt & Cine |
| Instructor: | Luis Lopez Belda |
| Instruction Language: | spanish |
| Comments: | The course was interesting |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced Spanish Composition and Creative Writing |
| Course Department: | Span |
| Instructor: | Luis Lopez Belda |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The course obviously required a lot of writing and reading which was good since it helped with my spanish writing and reading skills. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
