Living in Oviedo - Affordable, and worth every penny spent Past Review
By Jennifer F (History, University of Oregon) for
GEO: Oviedo - Study Abroad Programs in Oviedo
Loved it. Living abroad really helped me learn more about myself and my place in the world, including how I identify as an American. It couldn't have come at a better time in my life. I gained such a new awareness of other cultures, especially during my travels before and after the program. Traveling within Europe is super cheap, and I highly recommend it. After coming back from Europe, it has changed my perspective on life and encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. I have recently moved to Arizona to work in a low income, spanish speaking area teaching middle schoolers, and I feel that this international experience helped prepare me for that.
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Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was a good level of rigor. While it was not overwhelming, there was usually enough work to help us practice our skills on a daily basis, while still allowing us time to explore the city. It was interesting taking a class from people who don't know English at all, and helped me look at the Spanish language in a new light. I would say the Spanish education system seemed easier than in the US, but that may have been because I work full time while in the states. The teachers were great, and encouraging, and would often go out with us for nights on the town. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Carmen and Remy were awesome. They helped us in sooo many ways, and were there for us at all moments, like if someone got sick. There are experts in the area, and were extremely helpful. The program was a good size, with about 30 or 40 of us from the states, and a few German and Chinese students as well. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There were good amenities in terms of bedding and dishes, but the internet made it very difficult to communicate with those back home. It didn't really work in my dorms and it often cut out. Not having a stove top made things difficult and limited our grocery shopping. |
| * Food: |
We had to buy our own meals, and many of them were expensive. Buying from the grocery store is definitely a lot cheaper. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The espicha was a great kickoff moment at the beginning of the program. I loved the weekly excursions that took us to another new area of Asturias. Gijon is an amazing coastal town, and the program went above and beyond to give us a taste of the area. |
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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 this city. Even though there are a lot of people, it has a small town feel. I was not nervous walking back to the dorm with just a girl friend at night. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Using Spanish in the area was necessary. Living in Oviedo, not many of the locals spoke English. This forced us to use our Spanish which was great. I only wish we would have used it more between ourselves. But anyone else besides our peers we could practice with, and even found some locals to hang out with. |
| 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?
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* Who did you live with?
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