ISA Summer Abroad in Málaga, Spain: FANTASTIC! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was enough to learn, but I had plenty of time to go learn outside of the classroom and enjoy the Spanish sun!

On-site administration of your program

The program administrators in Málaga with ISA were AMAZING! Not only were they extremely helpful when I needed advice, but they were friendly and funny and a blast to be around.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I arranged to stay with a host family through ISA and never regretted it once. My house was right in between the school and the downtown area where we went out at night. I stayed with a host mom and her daughter (24) and son (26). They all opened their home to me right away and I ended up becoming very close to the daughter and son. They provided all meals, sheets/towels, and laundry. I was treated as a guest, but also as a friend. I would recommend doing a home stay to anyone because it really gives you the opportunity to meet natives and perfect your language. My friends who stayed with Americans enjoyed themselves, but at the end of the trip they wished they'd been able to practice Spanish more.

Spanish tortilla is amazing!!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Absolutely LOVED the excursions organized by ISA. Not only do they introduce you to different areas of Spain, but you also get to grow close with the Americans with you in ISA. I have already visited two friends from ISA (one in Colorado and one in Kentucky), and it hasn't even been a year since I've returned from Spain. While it's a blast to hang out with the Americans in your abroad group, make sure you make at least someee effort to hang out with natives! Again...the homestay makes that easy!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Overall...Málaga was a very safe place to live. It got a little crazy after Spain won the World Cup, but I imagine that all cities in Spain were nuts. Just be aware of your surroundings and be smart about keeping your things close to you and you will have no problems.

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

I obviously practiced my language in the classroom while in Málaga, but I also made every effort to work on it out of the classroom. Whether it was hanging out with my host family or meeting new Spaniards through organized talking sessions, I really took advantage of the opportunity to practice my Spanish. Most of the time, Spanish was necessary. I didn't really give natives the chance to show me if they knew English or not because I was eager to practice Spanish, but I had friends who weren't as comfortable speaking Spanish. Those friends had a little bit of trouble. Some people understood basic English, but for the most part Spanish was necessary.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family