I want to move abroad!! Past Review
By Angela J (International Business, University of Pittsburgh - Bradford) for
ISA Study Abroad in Madrid, Spain
It was the best learning experience of the course of working on my under graduate degree!!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The grading structure was much different than most U.S. University's. I attended Universidad Antonio de Nebrija and was disappointed with the amount of Spanish I learned. The professors were very kind and sociable. It was frusterating to be seperated from the Spanish students because it made it more difficult to learn. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My home University was irritating. They were not helpful in finding a program or helping to determine which country was appropriate for me. I had to individually determine which courses would transfer so I could still graduate on time. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mom was very helpful in teaching me the Spanish language and culture. She liked to cook and take myself and the other student to different places in the city. |
| * Food: |
Spaniards tend to eat alot of Pork, which is not exactly my favorite. The also eat plenty of fried foods. As long as you are in the city, you will get plenty of exercise so it cancels out. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
ISA did a great job of planning excursions. For every trip there were plenty of interesting places we got to visit. We learned alot about the culture all throughout Spain. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I got a slight viral infection while I was abroad and could not attend class. My program coordinators escorted me to the doctors to help communicate if need be. The also helped communicate to the University the situation. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The professors all spoke English which made it easy for communication. I felt like I learned the most amount of Spanish at my home stay as opposed to the University. My host mom did not know any English so you had to communicate in only Spanish, which forces you to learn. You definetly used Spanish in everyday interactions. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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