The Good Life Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

IES offered its students a variety of courses in fields such as International Relations, Art and Architecture, Flamenco, Beginning to Arabic, etc. These courses were intense in coursework and fieldwork. For those with an advanced language level, University of Granada courses were also available, allowing the student to integrate further into their surroundings. I found the curriculum to be well adjusted for a semester of Study Abroad. They also offered many extracurricular activities in order to enhance our experience, such as field trips to cities-- Seville, Cordoba, Morocco (for an entire week); and smaller excursions throughout Granada and then olive oil tasting, wine and cooking classes, etc. Overall, I believe IES has done an incredible job organizing our time away from home.

On-site administration of your program

Javier, the program director for Granada, is a wonderful man who is genuinely interested in knowing everyone in the program and helping with any issues that may arise. He constantly inspires those around him and has a wonderful team working by his side. Everyone in the administration is very open to suggestions and willing to help with anything. They also enjoy talking to the students and catching up.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

IES carefully selects the families and I have only heard great comments about my friends' host families. I was placed with a single woman and had a great experience!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

IES did a great job of trying to integrate us into the local culture. We had many orientation leaders who are actual Spanish students studying at the University. These orientation leaders quickly became our friends and helped us with finding the best places to eat, dance, etc. They taught us local customs and shared what they knew. IES also organized activities where they invited other Spanish students and encouraged us to bring along our own friends that we met. The intense Orientation at the beginning of the semester was a great introduction to Spanish culture in general, and to Granada specifically. They offered many outlets, but of course, everyone must find their niche their own way.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any need of medical attention during my time abroad; however, my friends who did need a doctor had a good experience. There is a clinic where you can just walk in without an appointment and if you need a specialist, the administrators will gladly find you one. They were also willing to go to the doctor with you if you were nervous or felt that you would need help translating.

I have never felt safer than in Granada. It is a pretty small city and I have never seen any crime. Granted, students should always be careful of pickpockets and at night be aware of their surroundings. The streets are usually full of people until 2am, so during that time it is definitely safe to walk alone. Although I never felt threatened or scared while walking home late at night, taxis are readily available, and in a city this small, it shouldn't cost more than about 5euros.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It all depends how you budget your money. Granada is a reasonably priced city compared to Madrid or Barcelona. Most people go out for tapas with friends for dinner. Tapas usually cost around 2euros (drink and small portion of food), so you can probably buy two tapas and be fine for the night. Eating wise, its not expensive. Otherwise, traveling and going out costs a lot.

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

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans

• the location
• the people
• the interaction between locals and students

• increase selection of classes
• keep the center open for longer hours

The Outright Urbanite