Embracing a New Culture Past Review
By Hannah S (Social Studies, Harvard University) for
CIEE: Alicante - Summer Language and Culture
yes, The art history class was one of the best I have ever taken in my academic career and improved my Spanish in the most practical way.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The differences were manageable as the program was run by an American program. I loved the art history class that I took. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We didn't interact much with the program organizers, which was both a strength and weakness in terms of providing us more freedom. They seemed pretty accessible if needed, however. All administrators lived in Alicante, so they were very knowledgeable of the area. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host family and the neighborhood. |
| * Food: |
Amazing |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Las Hogueras festival in Alicante, a program-arranged trip to Granada |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe and never experienced any issues. |
| 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? | I did not realize I would have to spend as much money on school supplies, bus passes, and minutes for a local phone. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | spanish 50 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
My host family. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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