Spaniards: Always Late, But Still Freakin' Great! Definitely the Most Influential Time of My Life. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

La Universidad de Salamanca is one of the most prestigious universities in Western Europe, and is the oldest in Spain. I had a wonderful academic experience while in Salamanca. The workload was much lighter than the US, but the topics were much more relevant and appealing to students our age. I think the teachers aren't as strict as US professors, especially since Spaniards never really attend class!

On-site administration of your program

Since Salamanca was ISA's very first site, there really aren't too many kinks that need to be worked out. Fatima, the ISA resident director at the time, was EXTREMELY knowledgeable about all of the cities, and was very helpful when students needed anything. I knew I wanted to practice my Spanish, so they help set up my intercambio, as well as a volunteer opportunity at a local elementary school near my homestay. The only weakness I can think of (it was a longggggg time ago) is that I think more integration with locals would have been welcomed. I know it's hard to force all study abroad students to interact with local Spaniards more, but maybe some mixers would have been helpful? I think a lot of study abroad students stick with what they know and are comfortable with, so they'll just hang out with other American students, which totally defeats the purpose of study abroad. Also, there were a couple of excursions that really weren't that great, but I know that ISA has now replaced them! Ciudad Rodrigo wasn't terribly interesting, but that's one of the cities that has a substitute now.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a good part of town, and Maria Jesus was, hands down, the best Spanish cook I had encountered while in Spain. She did, however, have some very moody days. While I learned a lot about a traditional Spanish family, I never really felt 100% included. Her son, Alberto, was an IT major, and would always be on the internet at home, but she would tell us that they didn't have any internet. Hm. We did, however, have some really good days where we would converse about local politics, cook together, and take strolls at night, among other things.

Spain in a HAM HEAVEN, and I'm Muslim. Maria Jesus, my host mom, was very accommodating once I told her about it. She was an excellent cook...with the exception of the salad. She couldn't quite grasp the concept of "less is more" when she would pile on the vinegar and salt! I really didn't eat out that much, but going to a local bar for tapas is always fun.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Rodrigo, one of the ISA staff members, offered an additional cultural event that took us from Salamanca to Madrid for a Real Madrid vs Recreativo de Huelva match. It was soooo much fun. We had tickets in the vomitorio (nosebleed) section, but a few friends and I slowly inched our ways down the stadium, and ended up on the 6th row! In general, our excursions and activities were always informational and fun. I was there during Dia de Accion de Gracias (Thanksgiving), and ISA arranged a really nice meal for us at a restaurant. It was nice of them to incorporate one of our holidays while we were abroad. Finally, it snowed for the first time in over 15 years in Salamanca while I was there, and it was so funny/interesting to see all of the Salmantinos FREAK OUT when they saw it!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never once felt unsafe in Salamanca. It's takes only about 35 minutes to walk from one end of the city to the other. In terms of healthcare, ISA has a really good option. A friend of mind fell down some stairs and needed stitches. It was super easy to show our insurance cards to the hospital and get everything figured out. Also, anytime I just needed to use my insurance for medicine, the pharmacies readily accepted it.

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

I set up an intercambio through the ISA Salamanca office with a girl named Virginia. We would meet several times a week and practice Spanish (for me) and English (for her). I also got to practice my Spanish with my host mom, Maria Jesus, her brother-in-law, Chan, and her kids Alberto and Chus. I would use Spanish everyday, and truly feel like my Spanish improved vastly. Most people in Salamanca speak English, but they appreciate it when you try and at least learn their language.

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family