Granada: studying in a city full of amazing history and culture Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Taking in to account the unnecessary workload, I learned so much about the Spanish language, history and culture. Especially with regard to Islamic Culture and its relation to the west.

On-site administration of your program

Javier was very accessible and easy to talk to. I felt the majority of the administration was very easy to talk to if you had a problem of some sort and they were always eager to help make your time in Granada as successful as possible. When I got sick Natalia gave me all the information I needed in order to go the doctor and helped me file for my insurance. I got sick at the start of midterms and they were very good at getting all my exams rescheduled when I got better and returned to school. The reason however that I did not give a higher rating has to do with the programs high work load, which I feel strongly detracted from allowing me to fully experience Granada's rich culture.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I adored my host family, Fabiola, Eloy and their daughter Fabiola. I also lived with a girl from my program but we each had our own room. We lived about a 25-20 min walk from the center and nightlife. Honestly, this was not an issue. There is also two bus stops (the 4 and 1) that stop outside and across the street of the apartment respectively. The area is very safe and I walked home by myself from the bars and clubs very late at night all the time without a problem. The only annoyance was the large amount of construction on the street outside of our apartment. We were required to buy our own toiletries and food items for snack and dinner (the program only offers breakfast and lunch). Fabiola and Eloy definitely treated me like their daughter. When I got sick, Fabiola took me to the doctor and they both took care of me as if I was one of their own. I cannot say enough good things about them.

I'm not a picky eater at all so food was never a problem for me. However, I know several people who kept kosher or were vegetarian and the program and their host families were very accommodating. In Granada if you buy a drink you get a tapa free (a small plate of food) the size of the portion depends on the bar. Usually you can make a pretty good dinner out of this. My favorite tapas bar was Poe which offered Brazilian tapas. Other good places for tapas are near the Center(plaza nueva), Calle Naves, Plaza de Trinidad and near Plaza Eisenstein.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

They took us to Sevilla, Cordoba and Cabo de Gata in Spain. For our out of country trip we went to Morocco which was absolutely an amazing experience that I will never forget.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Granada is very safe. There are pickpockets so just be careful with your belongings. As mentioned above, I got very sick in the middle of my program. The program was very helpful and accommodating. The doctors visit was more of a consultation with the doctor behind a desk.

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

I talked to my host parents everyday in spanish and tried at every opportunity to speak in Spanish to my professors and normal Granadinos in Spanish. My vocabulary improved immensely because of the classes I took

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• Americans
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• Americans