Bilbao, Siempre en tu Corazon! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The professors I encountered were understanding that we international students were in our cities for a cultural experience as well as an educational experience. Homework was moderate but not overly demanding. Test were reasonable. Success was easy to achieve, but it was completely up to you.

On-site administration of your program

My program advisor was spectacular. I do not believe there could be anyone else more accommodating or fun to hang around with. She went out of her expected duties and planned additional excursions with my entire group. Even though these experiences were out of pocket, they were all affordable and enabled me to gain even more out of my city.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

There was a large variety of people living at the apartment complex; ranging from other international students to natives studying at the two local universities. The apartment itself, Blas de Otero, was extremely nice in terms of cleanliness and amenities provided. My only criticism of the living situation is the neighborhood in which it is located. It was built in attempts to rebuild the area, and as a woman, there were times in which I felt vulnerable to unwanted interactions. There was easy access to the metro system which could take you anywhere you needed to go such as school, nightlife, the beach area, and old town. I opted to walk to school every morning in which I walked by the Guggenheim Museum at least twice a day. You can't get a better commute than that.

Spain is not a country supportive of a vegetarian lifestyle. I, myself, had no problems, but one of my program mates had a difficult time. Note: if you ask for no meat, they will include fish.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Every excursion organized was by far amazing. Outside of excursions, I highly recommend getting involved in the celebrations leading up to Easter. Even if you are not associated to the religious context, the parties and culture will blow your mind.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no direct problems with safety but a few others did. Basically, be aware of your surroundings and your belongings at all times. Remember you are in a foreign country with a foreign language. You do not want miscommunication to lead to problems.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Bilbao is unlike the major tourist cities, like Madrid and Barcelona, therefore you were expected to speak Spanish in everyday interactions. As long as you did your best to put effort into your conversations, natives responded well in aiding you along. At the university, there was an "intercambio" program between us Spanish studying students and native English studying students. With these interactions, I was able to learn a lot more about local culture and activities.

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