GO TO GRANADA. or atleast study abroad! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Workload was reasonable, especially compared to workload at Creighton. I took an Islamic History course and an Art History course and LOVED them both. They were both in Spanish but that didn't cause problems. I appreciated that the professors understood that we were studying abroad and didn't load us with work so we could still enjoy the culture.

On-site administration of your program

The staff was EXCELLENT. They were fun, trustworthy, and adventurous. They were extremely knowledgeable of how to get around, where to travel, health issues, etc. They exceeded my expectations-- I had a lot of fun with them. The ISA office was a great place to hangout when I needed a little break from school or the heat. The office is located less than a block from the Universidad which makes it extremely accessible and convenient.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

STAY WITH A HOST FAMILY. If you want a cultural experience, stay with a host family-- my family didn't speak any English, but they spoiled my roommate and I-- they treated us like family. Most families/singles who host students in Granada have had years of experience so they know the expectations/needs of the students. My mom set rules, but that actually made me feel more comfortable in the environment because I knew what was expected of me. Her rules were not limiting to my experience in any way. My host family consisted of parents, twin girls, one son, and one older daughter. I was able to experience how a Spanish family interacts. When I was sick, my mom babied me; she made us packed-lunches whenever we needed them and warned us of the bad parts of town. She encouraged us to 'go out' and have a good time-- the family would often stay out until 7am! I was well fed and safe-- the accommodations were great as well-- plus I didn't have to buy anything. Food gets expensive-- I still ate like a Spaniard without having to pay the steep price.

Spaniard food is pretty bland but good. The paella is AWESOME, I still have not found paella that compares to the paella I had in Spain

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I went to a bull fight and loved it-- I also met some Spainards there and we all became friends. I was able to see more of Granada because of my friendship with them. I also traveled to Morocco with ISA-- I would definitely do this again but I would bring pepto bismol. I have never traveled to a place like Morocco-- it was very interesting. ISA did a great job showing us around. ISA also took us to Nerja and some of us stayed a bit longer in Nerja-- Nerja is beautiful and a fun beach town to just bum around.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Be smart, Granada is a big city. Spainards stay out until the wee hours so there were always people out so I never felt unsafe. But if you are dumb, you'll probably have consequences. As for health-- it's a very clean city. ISA handled health issues very well, I had some flu-like symptoms and I was personally escorted to a doctor to get checked out. ISA translated for me and made the whole experience very comfortable. I don't think I needed any vaccines

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

I spoke Spanish everyday-- in my host home, in my Spanish class, in my Art History and Islamic History courses, with Spaniard friends, and with N. American friends. If I wanted to, I could have used English much more, but I tried to use Spanish as much as possible. My Spanish drastically improved, especially because I interacted with Spaniards who didn't know English. Having courses that were only in Spanish encouraged me to think in Spanish as well.

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• Host Family
• Apartment

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• Americans
• Host Family