The most amazing adventure I could have ever dreamed of Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The IES Granada courses were excellent, as were all of the professors at IES. They are all passionate about teaching and helping their students to achieve the best possible educational and cultural experience. The workload was reasonable- probably a little less rigorous than your university classes, but not by much. The week of classes before finals week and finals week were pretty demanding (lots of final projects and papers due, plus final exams) but overall the pace of the semester and courses was great. There are a handful of supplemental educational excursions for each class, which were all wonderful and got you out of the classroom and into the environment. I loved all of my IES courses, especially my Lorca Literature class and Islamic Art and Architecture class, and all of my amazing teachers.

On-site administration of your program

The program is just fantastic. Javier, the director of IES Granada, is just the best. He runs an incredible ship of extremely helpful and competent staff who make you feel right at home, as part of a big and loving family. They are extremely organized and give you the individual attention that you need if you have a question or problem. The center is a little crowded, but everyone makes it work. It's a beautiful building and a fun, energetic atmosphere to study in.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had the best host family on the planet. They treated my roommate and I like members of the family, not as strangers living in their house and eating their food. I formed an incredible relationship with my family, especially my host mom and host brother. My living arrangement far exceeded my expectations, which were already very high to begin with. My host family was probably the best part of my study abroad experience... I absolutely loved them. And, we still keep in touch!

I am an adventurous eater... there are not many food items I don't like! So I really enjoyed the food that I ate while abroad. My host mom made us delicious meals and always overfed us (I loved it), plus you cannot beat Granada's (FREE) tapas. The cuisine can be a little rich (which surprised me, I expected more fruits and vegetables), but it's very very tasty.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Being in IES and only taking IES classes, I sometimes felt isolated from the locals, and it was a bit hard to meet Spaniards and not fall into the trap of hanging out with only Americans. However, I took part in IES's intercambio (language exchange program with University of Granada students) and through that program, met some amazing local friends that I would hang out with regularly. I just wish I had been matched up with a local student sooner (I didn't receive my match until about halfway into the semester).

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Granada is an extremely safe city. Petty theft (pickpocketing, etc.) is very uncommon, unlike in Barcelona and Madrid, for example. I was always cautious about my belongings, did not wear anything that made me stand out as a wealthy tourist, and always tried to walk with at least one other person at night. However, these were just precautions. I never felt unsafe in Granada.

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

I did not spend very much money at all in Granada. Eating is very cheap, since tapas are free with any drink you purchase. However, shopping and travel, if you choose to do both a lot, can get expensive. The US dollar doesn't go as far in Spain either. If you are mindful and don't go too crazy, it's a very affordable place to study abroad.

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

The IES staff always encouraged you to use Spanish, especially with your American friends. In my opinion, they could have been a little more forceful, but that's because I wanted to be completely immersed in Spanish and not hear English at all.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• The staff and professors
• The courses and field trips
• Getting to go to Morocco for four days!

• The Intercambio program- I would have liked to been paired with a University of Granada student much earlier in the semester
• Final exam week- having more time after final exams to enjoy the city and time with your host family instead of going straight home
• The emphasis on only speaking Spanish all the time

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer