spain: a worthwile experience! Past Review
By Dana L (PSYCHOLOGY., SUNY - Binghamton) for
Complutense University of Madrid: Madrid - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
yes, and it has changed my cultural awareness greatly and has awoken an interest in history due to all of the places ive seen.
Personal Information
| 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. |
workload was definitely manageable and the teachers were very helpful. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
suppot services were very accessable, and it wasnt too hard to get things done. we had a lot of knowledge about the host country and no one hesitated to help us if we needed it. the program size was good and for the most part my expectations were met. the food could have been improved. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
fine with the hotel in malaga. being in a room alone in madrid was not too great. it was too hot even with a fan so most nights i slept 5 hours a night because of the heat not including getting up in the mimddle of the night to take an ice cold shower in attempts to cool myself down.. neighborhoods safety was good, proximity to class was excellent and nightlife was great. there was no need to buy items to settle. everyone was extremely nice and hospitable which i lvoed, and they all wanted to help you when you needed it. |
| * Food: |
great accommodation of dietary restrictions, more vegetables and fruit need to be offered! cold milk...dine at restaurants in the area for a meal between 5 and 20 euros, and the snack bar for something quick, cheap and relatively good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
traveling was great, and dancing at the clubs was amazing. i liked the malaga tours because all of the places we saw were beautiful. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
doctor was called immediately upon report of an illness. beware of gypsies and pick pocketers! i never experienced it but some did. healthcare was good, i had to go to the hospital and i was provided with the program escort who went with me to help with the language barrier...different than what i am used to at home because (obviously) there can be better communication. i believe i needed a hepatitis shot? (a or b...cannot remember) |
| 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? | 60? not even. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | just if you are out and you want something quick, or you want to get food at a grocery store for snacks...all of this was anticipated though. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
i practiced language with my friends, the workers where we stayed, on the subways, with people in stores/restaurants/on the streets and teachers |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | someone who likes the heat and loves to go out...from what i hear the nightlife was incredible. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Poetry of Garcia Lorca |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Vanessa C. Jurado |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | definitely challenging and made me think! improved my anylitical skills for poetry and gave me a deeper understanding of Lorca and his life. i learned so much in this class it was the best class out of the 3 that i took. vanessa is a phenomenal teacher who always pushes us to learn more and work harder. she is truly spectacular. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Hispanic Short Stories |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Professor Bermudez |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Professor Bermudez was extremely helpful in understanding all of the stories that we read. He helped us analyze and break them down well so we got the point. he made sure we understood before going any further and always encouraged us to ask questions which i really liked. very nice professor. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Business Conversation |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Antonio Sobejano |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Professor Sobejano was a wonderful teacher. he engaged the entire class and i really did learn so much. my vocabulary after taking his class expanded immensely and it really did help expand my knowledge of business and culture as well. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
