Past Review
By Ronald M (Hospitality Management, Indiana University of Pennsylvania) for
ISA Study Abroad in Málaga, Spain
My study abroad experience was definitely worthwhile! I would not change one thing about my trip. It has changed my future plans... I now want to move and live in Malaga, Spain because I fell in love with the life style, location, people, and language.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I really enjoyed the grading system they use in the EU. It made me feel more relaxed and I was about to absorb more information. The teaching methods were very different, and at time I had to teach myself some of the information because I felt some of the teachers really had no idea how to teach a class. In all, I really enjoyed the academic environment I was exposed to in Spain and wouldn't mind if America used some of the same systems of teaching. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was great! They were very helpful and could always get you any information you need to find out. They knew about our American education and tested our progress to show us how we improved. They also helped us with cell phones and weekend traveling. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mother was so great! She was always worried about feeding us and we never went hungry. We lived right on the beach, which was wonderful and only an hour walk or fifteen minute bus ride to our school. The only thing that was lacking that I had to buy on the side was internet. She did not have wifi and was the only problem I have. |
| * Food: |
Food was always served and was delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The culture is so great! I was able to learn new ways of doing things. We were there over Easter and saw the "Semana Santa" procession. We watched the procession of tens of thousands of people walking the streets. There were many more but this was the most memorable. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I did not have any health problems but our program made us have health insurance, so that if anything were to happen we were covered. |
| 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 |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I have taken 300 level classes at my University before going to Study Abroad. |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I was able to practice my Spanish with my Senora, with whom I lived with. I also made a good amount of Spanish friends and tried to be with them as often as possible. Malaga, Spain is not one of the most popular places to study and there were not that many chances to speak English, which is great! |
| 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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Students who want to learn and use Spanish in a beautiful location. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Spanish Culture and Society |
| Course Department: | Advanced |
| Instructor: | Antonio José Hierro Montosa |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This was by far my favorite class. The teacher was excellent and really gave us a great picture of Spanish culture and Society. He knew all of our questions and would always give great explanations in detail. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | My university has not processed the credits yet, but they have all information and should be processed soon without problems. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced Spanish Language |
| Course Department: | Advanced |
| Instructor: | Gema Zarzuelajiménez |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | I felt that this class was one of the classes I had where I needed to teach myself the subject. The teacher didn't connect with our class, and most of the time, a majority of the students were confused about what we were learning, right after the class ended. I did teach myself new things from this class and used them in public situations. We all participated in the class, because each person had to answer around three to four questions a day. We had another teach teach us the class for a day when our original teacher was absent, and we understood this day. I would not say the class is a problem but the teach was. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | My university has not processed the credits yet, but they have all information and should be processed soon without problems. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
History of Latin America |
| Course Department: | Advanced |
| Instructor: | Cristina Ortega Medina |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This class was very interesting. I have taken many classes back here at home about Latin American History, and to hear it being taught by a Spanish instructor was great. The teach was very knowable of the subject and was always willing to answer questions. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | My university has not processed the credits yet, but they have all information and should be processed soon without problems. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
International Marketing |
| Course Department: | Normal |
| Instructor: | Álvaro García Gómez |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was very confusing at first. The instructor had a hard time teaching because his English skills were lacking. But after a few weeks his English improved and we learned many concepts of marketing. I enjoyed the class and the instructor. My only other problem was the time the class was taught. It started at 5:30 PM and was inconvenient because all our other class were offered from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | My university has not processed the credits yet, but they have all information and should be processed soon without problems. |
