Study in Spain: Amazing Study Abroad with a Not-so amazing program Past Review
By K A (International Relations, University of North Carolina - Wilmington) for
ISA Study Abroad in Salamanca, Spain
My experience abroad impacted me perhaps more than most people in the program. I did not "hang out" with the Americans in my group, but ventured off to have friends from Spain. Due to this, I learned immensly about the culture and really lived like a Spaniard for the 5 months I was there. It impacted my life deeply because I was able to connect with a culture that was not my own, but soon became an important part of me. I feel much more confident after studying abroad in my language and communication skills, not only in Spanish but in English too. It was a very rewarding expereience and although I did not like the fact I studied abroad with the particular program I picked, I made it my own experience and it was so worth it!
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad de Salamanca |
| 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. |
I found the workload challenging, but also very rewarding. My professors were absolutely amazing and I loved the university. Grading was VERY different and most students found that 100% of their grades were from one exam at the end of the semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff at ISA Salamanca were so disorganized and were not very helpful at all. All of the students in my program felt that they had spent so much money to do this program and for the organization it was awful. One thing that really upset students was that the host families the organization had were not examined. For example, I lived in a house where I had a bedroom with no windows that got up to 110 degrees in the summer. The room was attached to the kitchen and the family I lived with were very unwelcoming. I eventually moved out on my own expense because ISA did not know how to handle the situation and did not want to contact the main program in Austin, Texas because they thought they would be in trouble. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Awful family... very unwelcoming and acted like they were hosting just for money. |
| * Food: |
Host family cooked the same thing everyday... and the dishes were not even Spanish. All I ate for the month I stayed with the family was pizza, salads, or subs. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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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 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I only spoke Spanish for the 4 months I was in Salamanca. My Spanish improved greatly because of the fact that I was completely immersed in the culture. I spoke Spanish with all the students in my class (80% from Spain) and also new friends I made outside of the classroom. |
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? | You must be independent to do well in this program because if you are the one that seeks guidance without doing your own research and asking your own questions, you will not thrive. Also, you must be able to have a high level of Spanish skills before going into this program- speak confidently in Spanish to professors, do research and thesis papers in Spanish, and be comfortable doing presentations in Spanish. With that being said, I came into the program with a really high GPA, but I had not taken many advanced Spanish classes- however, I did very well in this program because I was determined and motivated to produce the highest level of work possible and I gained alot of respect from my professors in Spain by doing so. If you do this program you must not be afraid to make mistakes, but you must quickly learn from the mistakes you make because the program is very fast passed. |
