Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Life changing opportunity Past Review

By (Lawrence University) - abroad from 08/29/2018 to 12/21/2018 with

IES Abroad: Salamanca - Advanced Spanish Immersion

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned to be more independent and to be able to learn from a different dialect of Spanish in comparison to mine and made some great local friends.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was a great experience and being able to attend the local university was definitely the highlight of my time in Spain.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Loved my Spanish family! I was able to fully immersed and learn so much from them.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Loved the university courses and infrastructure.

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)

Salamanca is relatively cheap and I didn't haven't to spend that much during my time there.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 10-15 euros

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Fluent
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 500-level Spanish class
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Being able to speak Spanish
  • Living with a host family
  • Learning about Spanish culture.
* What could be improved?
  • N/A
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How to pack and how to use public transportation when traveling.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.