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

By (International Studies (Int'l Affairs)/ Spanish, Trinity University) - abroad from 01/19/2010 to 05/19/2010 with

IES Abroad: Granada - Liberal Arts & Language

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes! I learned so much about the Spanish people and culture and my Spanish also improved to near fluency. I now want to return to work in Spain or a Latin American nation.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

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.

* Housing:

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.

* Food:

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.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

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.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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? I normally took out 100 euro every week and a half or so to spend on food and drink. Servers do not like splitting checks so we paid cash whenever we went out as a group.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Airplane Companies charge you for everything! make sure you learn to pack light and only take a carryon with your clothes in it.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

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

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

SPAIN AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

Course Department: EC332
Instructor: Eduardo Cuenca
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: I absolutly adored taking this class. Eduardo is a wonderful teacher and such and intersting person. Its and economics class and a night class so it might sound odd that its enjoyable. but it is. take it.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION IN SPAIN AND NORTH AFRICA UNTIL 1492

Course Department: HS/RL344
Instructor: Indalecio Lozano
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This was my favorite class at the Center. Indalecio is a wonderful teacher and very engaging. I learned so much in his class. Though this is one of the classes that requires a 10 page research paper I would recommend taking this class.
Credit Transfer Issues: Because of personal issues and high workload, it was necessary for me to take an incomplete for Islamic Civilization class. Both IES and Trinity were very understanding and helpful in letting me complete my work.
Course Name/Rating:

The Spanish Experience of the Other

Course Department: AN362
Instructor: Marian del Moral
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This is the class I mentioned up above with the long academic readings. It was very reading heavy. The class was boring which was a shame because there was so much potiental for this class to be interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues: