The Best Five Weeks of my Life - Málaga, Spain Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was much less at the Universidad de Málaga, Cursos para Extranjeros. It allowed us to spend time in the city, enjoying the culture, rather than studying. I received A's in my classes, which transferred to "Pass" at my American university. My classes (Spanish Culture & Civilization and Spanish Art History) were taught by lecture. I know that other lower level classes were different; they used group work, book work, etc.

On-site administration of your program

The ISA staff was amazing. The office was inviting -- they always encouraged speaking the language, but were willing to help plan trips (Morocco, Cordoba) and made difficult phone calls for us. There were computers available to use. The size of the program was great. Most host homes had wireless internet, and there were plenty of internet cafes. The city of Málaga is beautiful, right on the water, and the people were very friendly. The program turned out to be better than my expectations.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was assigned a host family, and I chose to have a roommate. Our apartment was one of the furthest ones away from everyone else's. We were about 15 minutes walking from the center of the town with shopping and nightlife, and a 30 minutes bus trip from the center to our school. Our neighborhood was okay, safety-wise. I used the Night bus to leave the center after the discotecas if I was along. We were able to use sheets and towels and a hairdryer from our señora. My roommate and I shared a very small room, but we weren't there very often anyway. We had wireless internet. We weren't necessarily invited to participate in family activities, but we were not excluded either.

The food we ate was delicious. Very typical Spanish food, lots of salad, soup, and seafood. At my apartment, we didn't each as many traditional dishes as I would have hoped, like paella. However, other people had different experiences. I was always full, and could have had more if need be. We also got large bag lunches when we went on trips, or chose to stay at the beach instead of going home for lunch.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Visits to Madrid, Toleda, Sevilla, Granada, and Ronda. Parts of our trips were planned but we always had free time. When we stayed overnight, we visited new clubs and discotecas. We had weekly field trips around the city of Málaga, to the Alcazaba (fort) and the Picasso Museum, for example. An exchange was planned between Spanish speakers and us, but I didn't meet anyone there that I continued to hang out with.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any trouble, personally. A guy in my program was mugged, and the staff took him to the hospital, etc. A few things were stolen during our time, like cameras and wallets. As long as you are cognizant and aware of your surroundings, you should be fine. The staff is very helpful in difficult situations.

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

My host family, the staff in the ISA office, professors at school. I used Spanish every day, definitely. In Málaga, not as many people speak English as in Barcelona or Madrid. We also visited smaller towns nearby that necessitated the used of Spanish, as well.

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• Hostel
• Dorm
• Host Family

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• Host Family