Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An eye-opening experience that I will never forget and will cherish forever. Past Review

By (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 09/02/2014 to 12/19/2014 with

IE University: Segovia - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much about cultures beyond our own and how similar we all are in spite of our significant differences. I would recommend studying abroad to anyone and everyone because we as Americans need to be more cultured and as familiar with as many cultures as possible to understand the world better. I wish I could have studied abroad more than once.

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.

The structure of most of my classes at IE were very different from what I'm used to at UT, in both good and bad ways. On one hand, there were smaller classes that allowed for greater discussion and more intimate classroom conversations with professors. On the other hand, some of my professors seemed slightly disorganized or waited until the end of the semester to lay on a bunch of assignments/checkpoints, finally making us feel motivated to work.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Nicky Sharp is a sweet and helpful person with great intentions, but I found that she often didn't seem to have the help she needed in dealing with some of her many responsibilities. Overall though, she was very generous with her time and willingness to lend a hand when needed.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a great flat with two other girls from UT. The apartment was in a great location, 5-10 minutes from IE walking and very close to the aqueduct. The landlords were a sweet and flexible family that were very accommodating when any appliances weren't working properly. Not to mention, the rent, of course was so cheap!

* Food:

* 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? About 30-40 euros a week since I did a lot of cooking during the week in Segovia.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Because the cost of living, the groceries and things like wine are so cheap compared to what we're used to in places like Segovia, it can be easy to save a lot of money, but also just as easy to spend what you're not spending on these types of things. I would say keep a record of what you're spending each week or at least monitor your bank balance on a weekly basis to make sure you don't run out of funds.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Because IE is an international university, English was spoken more than any other language, which made using Spanish with my peers more difficult. However, because I was in an advanced Spanish class and forced to practice every time I went into town, I found opportunities to practice and improve my knowledge of Spanish. It's more about forcing yourself to practice speaking and making friends with Spanish natives than anything, that's where you're going to improve the most.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Intermediate Spanish (610D) at Midland College
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Like I said before, spend as much time as you can interacting with locals, Spanish professors, and Spanish native students. If I had done more of this, I think I would've improved even more. Also, I found it useful to listen to Spanish music in addition to changing my phone settings to Spanish.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people I met at IE
  • Some of the different aspects of the classroom setting
  • What I learned from the different cultures everywhere I visited
* What could be improved?
  • Some organization elements of the program
  • More structure in certain aspects of the classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Because Spain is surrounded by so many awesome European countries, I ended up traveling to so many amazing places and seeing more than I ever would have imagined. While I did explore a good amount of Spain, looking back there were some places I missed and wished I could've seen. Also, while I did get very close to some of the students I had classes with, I would also advise students studying in Segovia or wherever to travel and enjoy your time, but part of the experience is diving into your host culture and allowing enough time to get to know your city and the locals/students within it.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.