Life doesn't stop just because you're in Europe. Past Review
By A student (History/Spanish, Fordham University) - abroad from 09/03/2013 to 12/18/2013 with
IES Abroad: Granada - Liberal Arts & Language
I learned a lot about myself personally and my goals for the future. I learned about living in a foreign country and how to deal with the changes from living at home. I think the experience was worthwhile because I learned lessons that could not have been taught in the United States.
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. |
Ridiculously easy. Almost too easy, as I never felt challenged in my courses. While my professors were good, their classes all seemed relatively random and didn't seem to follow the syllabus. One major problem was taking classes at the Universidad de Granada. IES told me that there were a wide variety of Spanish history courses to take and I would have free choice: not so. Required IES courses took place during most UGR courses, thus eliminating the option of taking certain UGR classes. The options available for history courses were laughable and not what I expected based on what IES told me (there were absolutely none available to me as a foreign student that focused on the history of Spain or of the Iberian Peninsula). |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Overall, well-run. Many activities were offered every week and the staff was attentive and friendly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I told IES that I wanted to live in a home stay, but they offered me the option of living in a Colegio Mayor claiming that, based on my application, I would be able to meet and exceed my goals. I agreed, based on their assessment, and it was a huge mistake. The Colegio Mayor, while basic, did not help me improve my skills in Spanish at all, as the Spanish residents didn't like to associate themselves with American students. I mentioned my dislike of the Colegio Mayor to several staff members at IES Granada, which was simply ignored in each case. |
| * Food: |
The food was good: very Spanish (chorizo, jamón, eggs, potatoes, stews, etc.). It was basically impossible to eat meals at the Colegio Mayor quickly due to Spanish custom, which I didn't expect. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was difficult to integrate with the students at my Colegio Mayor, but other Spaniards proved very friendly. IES offered several programs to facilitate integration. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any major health issues but my roommate became very sick several times during the semester and was well-treated by the program and the Spanish healthcare system. |
| * Safety: |
Granada is very safe, as long as you're being smart. If you can survive in the Bronx, you will be perfectly fine in Granada. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | Probably less than 100 euro per week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Put some money away in the beginning to save to purchase gifts at the end of your semester! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
All my courses were in Spanish, and all conversation within IES Granada was in Spanish. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPAN 2500 |
| 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? | Prepare yourself beforehand: switch your phone to the language of choice, start writing notes in that language, try and think in that language if you can. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had stuck with my first instinct and chosen to live in a home stay and put myself into a UGR class. Ultimately, no one at IES Granada knew me as well as I know myself and had I trusted myself and my original thoughts, I would have had a better, more challenging and more fulfilling semester. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
