Salamanca: Estudiando y viajando... disfrutese! Past Review
By Esther K (Spanish & Biology, University of Maryland - Baltimore County) for
ISA Study Abroad in Salamanca, Spain
This experience made me more independent and aware of world issues. It's eye-opening to talk to people from another country and see how they view our culture.
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 exams are all at the end of the semester so it's important to attend class. But there's a lot more freedom to travel and do other extracurricular activities. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Any time I had a problem, I usually went through the program provider (ISA) but the Universidad de Salamanca's program provided field trip options which was pretty cool. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had to provide shampoo/conditioner/toothpaste/toothbrush which I bought in Spain. I brought my own towel but bed/sheets/utensils/serving ware, etc were all provided by the host family. I was treated as a member of the family and my host family always made sure that the food was to my liking. The street that we lived on was convenient for traveling - the city itself is pretty small and we lived very close to the city center. |
| * Food: |
My host family provided all the meals - even for our excursions. I kind of wish now that I had eaten out once every two weeks or so just to try the local food. Tapas are a must and in Salamanca, Van Dyck is perfect for that. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I went to Portugal with the Universidad de Salamanca's Cursos Internacionales. Our program organized trips to nearby small towns, Granada, Toledo, Madrid and Segovia. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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? |
I lived with a host family so I was constantly using Spanish during meals and so I was able to learn names for common everyday items. I also did a lot of traveling and some people understood English - but they were always willing to hear me out in Spanish. |
| 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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Decide what you want out of the program before you leave. If you're going just to have fun... don't be surprised if you fail a few classes. If you're going to learn... make sure you make time for fun. Traveling isn't too expensive and it's a great way to use the Spanish you're learning and see more of Spain's culture. |
