Salamanca: A Quaint and Enriching Experience Past Review
By Melanie M (Exercise Sports Science, Texas Tech University - Health Sciences Center) for
ISA Study Abroad in Salamanca, Spain
an understanding of other cultures and how different they are from my own and qualities such as being more simple in living. i loved how family was so important in salamanca, how it is a slower pace of life and i would love to visit more spanish speaking countries for mission work now that i know a decent amount of the language.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
it was difficult being a beginner spanish student and having all of my classes taught in spanish |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
having internet access was nice and being able to hang out in the office in between classes was great as well. i was able to get work done but at times it became distracting because of all of the students and them talking english all the time. they were very very knowledgable about salamanca which was extremely helpful. i did not go into the program with expectations but i came out satisfied. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
my neighborhood was safe and walking 20 minutes to and from class didnt bother me. the only time i was ever nervous walking home was late at night after going out with friends because it was a 20 minute walk. i didnt need to buy anything except for kleenex cuz my host mom refused to buy it for us. i was treated like a business deal for the most part, not like family. it was hard at times because of all the culture differences in treating people but i do not regret it, it was just challenging at times. |
| * Food: |
i had no problems with the food except for when i clearly told her many times that i do not like fish but she made it anyways as a "punishment" |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
loved going to the futbol game and the carnival weekend was something in itself. the excursions by isa were great the only downside was the weather but that was no ones fault. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
salamanca was a smaller town in spain so i felt like it was pretty safe, i only felt threatened as a white blonde american a couple times during my trimester there. i suffered with allergies while there but it was never a big enough problem to seek medical attention. there were no prevalent health issues in salamanca and the only thing i had to get tested for before going was tuberculosis. |
| 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? |
host parents, isa directors, locals, friends. i had to use spanish everyday and the only people who spoke english were people in my program and classes, not many others |
| 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? | do not go crazy, be responsible, get enough sleep, and speak spanish every chance you get. someone who has a passion to learn spanish in an intense setting where no english is spoken. |
