Graná: I'm coming back!!!!!!!!!!!! Past Review
By Jennifer Y (Int'l studies and Linguistics, University of California - San Diego) for
ISA Study Abroad in Granada, Spain
My experience was definitely worthwhile and YES if i could do it all over again I definitely would and I would chose the same program. I was able to open my eyes into a different kind of life, a life way different from my own and it has enabled me to keep an open mind no matter where in the world I may travel to. I plan on going back to Spain at some point, if there is anyway I could live there again for some time in my life, I would do it without even thinking about it twice. I feel like I did so much but yet there is still so much I need to do. My program directors made me think about possibly taking on a job similar to that where I can work with youth and help people in their experiences. I would like to impact someones lives in an unforgettable life changing experience like they did for me as that was my first time traveling alone in a country. Going back, I compare my life in the US and my life in Spain, and I am truly in love with the life I lived there. I was able to see how people value life differently in different parts of the world, and I have come to see how my view on life values compares more similarly to that one, than the one I have here.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I felt like my overall academic experience was great. I loved my professors and the small class feel. I liked that I was still getting challenged with my studies and my projects, yet I was still able to enjoy my free time. I had a good balance of school work and social life and am very happy with it all. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There are no weaknesses I can say about the program because they were helpful the throughout the whole process. When I met the program leaders in Spain, I noticed how truly genuine and helpful the whole ISA program is. I absolutely loved my coordinators. They are all amazing, intelligent, accomplished individuals with so much to offer every single student. They do their absolute best to accommodate everyone and help everyone in any way they possibly can. I established really great relationships with them and because of their wonderful leadership, organization and enthusiasm, I have to say that I have nothing negative to say about my ISA coordinators and that I am so glad I chose the program I did. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a dorm and I liked it a lot. It was a bit difficult because there were so many international and local students. I felt at first like the local students weren't too welcoming of us, but that changed, as I did make lots of friends there. What I didn't like was the fact that because I was there with other girls from my program, it was easy for us to stick together at all times, I would have liked to mingle more with the locals I guess, but they didn't. As far as my neighborhood, I thought it was great. I was in a good location with a good walking distance to the school and other places around town that I liked to go to often. I felt safe even when walking at night. The staff at the dorm was a family who owned it and other workers who did the maintaining part. They were all so sweet and did so much for us. The one negative side was that the dorm building was also like a shared apartment. The top two floors above the dorms were apartments, and all the windows faced a small courtyard type thing and so all the smells and noises would travel up. We would get blamed a lot for noise by the upstairs neighbors even when we felt we weren't even being loud and that the locals were a lot louder than us. But we got blamed a lot and felt like the lady just tried to pick on us for being Americans. |
| * Food: |
The food was good. There are a lot of things I don't eat like pork or seafood, but I changed that while I was there since that is a big part of their diet. I realized I would need to be more open to things in a new culture. There isn't too many spicy things, so if you like spicy things, buy your own bottle of hot sauce or something because that's not as common in food places like it is in US restaurants. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The city is so rich with culture and history. I absolutely loved the Alhambra and my favorite park was Carmen de los Martires and I made an effort to walk by there almost everyday. I think it's great to take a stroll around town in the evening time when everyone else is also taking a stroll. There's always something in the streets to look forward to whether music, or some kind of entertainment. Also, many plazas would have special fairs and events going on. All the churches and museums are a definite must. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
I felt pretty safe walking around the city, even alone. I made sure to keep my guard up and was aware of all the cat calls and what not. But I never felt to scared or in threat walking around the city, even at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I was in the advanced Spanish class and I enjoyed it a lot. I made sure to speak as much Spanish as possible outside of just the classroom by making friends with the natives and interacting at places like restaurants and bars. I lived in a recidencia and I was able to make a lot of Spanish friends and speak to them in Spanish. A lot of the people in my group spoke English so I still spoke a lot of English with them, but I really tried my best to have us all practice our Spanish. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I think this program best fits a laid back type of student. Someone who is hungry for culture, history and adventure. It's not a kind of city where you have to look your absolute best everyday, it's really chill and down to earth, a place where you don't have to party every night to have fun. (but if you are, then you still can, as there is something going on at some club or bar at least every night of the week) This program has so much to offer, keep your eyes and your mind open to whatever because you'll find yourself falling in love with everything about it. |
