A month in the most beautiful city in Spain Past Review
By Cameron Buck (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill) - abroad from 05/30/2016 to 06/30/2016 with
IES Abroad: Salamanca - Advanced Spanish Immersion
I learned to be confident in my speaking abilities and how to connect with people that I cannot necessarily speak fluently with. It was incredibly worthwhile and I made some incredibly strong friendships in the fews weeks we spent together
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The class was taught at a very good pace that was challenging without being overwhelming and time consuming. The professors were all very helpful and good teachers. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was incredibly accommodating and able to assist us with any/all concerns. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The residence halls were very clean, well managed, and located in a good location. |
| * Food: |
The food was incredible. There are a ton of local restaurants with tapas and relatively cheap meals. There are also fast food places (McDonalds, Burger King) in case you get home-sick. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living in a residence hall with real Spanish students was a great way to integrate. My only suggestion is to try to branch out from the IES group and meet locals whom don't speak English. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in Salamanca. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I chose to go for only a summer semester, if I went again I would choose a full semester/year abroad! |
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? | $200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The best thing to do is to over-budget and over-save. I saved up a lot more money than I ended up spending which meant that I was able to go on weekend trips and eat out when I wanted without worrying about every Euro I was spending. Also, most places don't take credit cards unless you are making a large purchase so try to sign up for a card/bank that will let you withdraw Euros without paying the foreign transaction fees. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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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| 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? | I wish I had known how important it is to put myself out there and meet locals. I waited until the very end of the trip and I wish I had known how nice and accommodating the local people are |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
