IES Granada: Nothing Better. Past Review
By Daniel B (Philosophy, Cognitive Studies, Spanish, Tulane University) for
IES Abroad: Granada - Liberal Arts & Language
I have become a more focused, confident and active student because of it. I gained a better understanding on how to live my life, which is to say, I gained a more Spanish outlook on life, which is to follow what makes you happy, and if it isn't making you happy, leave it behind. I plan to move back to Granada at some point.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very helpful when we needed as well as incredibly welcoming and friendly. Their only problem may be the lack of aid involved in direct enrollment into the local University, which is difficult for a foreigner. They did help, just not as much as I may have liked at times. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The city of Granada and its people are incredible, as were the other students and staff in the program. The proximity to numerous beach towns in Spain as well as the low prices for bus tickets to said towns was very convenient during the nicer seasons. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The city felt incredibly safe at all hours. Health issues were only problematic because of the language barrier but still not bad. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | I spent a lot but that was because I planned to. Granada is cheap and it would be very easy to live off of 100 dollars a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Spend money on doing things, not having things. Memories are a lot more fun than possessions. Traveling is more expensive from Granada than other Spanish cities, but you get to know the city more and enjoy it more when not traveling, so much so that you probably wont want to travel. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 400 level |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced language with everyone, I used the host language everyday, and only the people in my program and my 30-40% of the locals spoke English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | A student with any sort of discontent at home would benefit from this program, as would any student that has problems with stress or anxiety. The lifestyle is difficult to get used to if you have said problems, but it will change and help you exponentially for the better. I would almost say any student would benefit from this program as much as any other. If you are considering a larger city than Granada, definitely go with Granada. It is full of students and young people, and it never gets boring. |
