A Beautiful Fall Semester in Granada Past Review
By Hayley Santaflorentina (Connecticut College) - abroad from 09/04/2017 to 12/19/2017 with
IES Abroad: Granada - Liberal Arts & Language
Study Abroad not only significantly improved my Spanish and gave me a greater cultural understanding of Spain, but it also increased my self-confidence so much. For the first time, I lived by myself in a completely new city where I knew nobody and ended up having the most incredible experience of my life.
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. |
My Spanish improved significantly through the classes I took that were taught in Spanish. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There are many different options for housing, such as living with a homestay, staying in a University of Granada affiliated dorm, or living in an independent student dorm in the city. I know people who did each and there were pros and cons to all of them. |
| * Food: |
My host mother was an amazing cook and going out to dinner every night was fun. Thankfully, Granada is a fairly cheap city to live in and there are plenty of cheaper options for dinner. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I came down with the stomach bug while I was abroad and while I did not need to go to the doctor, my host mother as well as IES did a great job of making sure that I got the care I needed. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in Granada, even when walking home by myself at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I think IES does a great job of helping students find classes they will be interested in, opportunities to become involved in the everyday life of the city, and providing support for any question or concern a student might have. They also provide amazing field trips all over southern Spain plus an incredible five day field trip to Morocco. |
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) |
Granada is a fairly affordable city, the expenses arise if you travel abroad frequently. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | A 200 level college course |
| 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? | From the get-go, speak in the language with your friends outside of class. It may be hard at first, but it is even more difficult to try to get into the habit after you've been speaking with them in English for multiple months. |
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? | The majority of host families abroad are usually one older woman. |
