Santander: Studying in a Quintessential Spanish Town Past Review

By Merijke C (Elementary Education, Creighton University) for

ISA Study Abroad in Santander, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I knew that studying abroad would change my views of the world and give me new connections, but I never imagined that I would have an experience like I did. Living in a different country made me want to travel the world even more and see as many cultures as possible because there is so much to learn from other people and countries. I want to return and live abroad again someday if I can because I loved being in the different culture. I love America, but now I love Spain also.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here:	Menendez-Pelayo International University
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I thought that it was a good workload. All of the professors were really nice and great to work with. They all knew that we were studying abroad and wanted to help with that experience whether it was by giving us advice or helping us to use their classes to learn more about Spain and Europe in general. I was a little disappointed that the classes were only the ISA students because I wanted to meet more Spaniards, but I probably should have guessed since the program is all in English. It was definitely a very high level of academics and I learned a lot!
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Gloria was awesome! She was there for anyone and everyone who needed some help. Even if you didn't need help, you could just go hang out in the office with her and Mayte. Definitely added to my program experience to have an ISA person right there whenever I needed assistance.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	My host family was awesome. My host mother let me cook with her and I often chose to hang out with my host family rather than go out with my group or even travel because I wanted to make the most of my time with them. They really made me a part of their family.
* Food:	Spanish food rocks. End of story.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	ISA organized many excursions for us and I think they were great for learning more about Santander and the surrounding areas. They were to a lot of places that I don't think I would have been able to go to on my own, so I was very thankful that they had them pre-scheduled for us!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Santander is a very safe city. We never had any problems walking around, even at night. It is a relatively small city and I think that it is a great place to study abroad.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?	I lived in a homestay (which was absolutely awesome) and spoke solely Spanish with my family. I also participated in a language sharing program trading my English skills for a Spaniard's Spanish skills to help both of us improve in the language we were learning. I tried to speak in Spanish as much as possible and it was necessary to speak Spanish while getting around Santander. Not many people spoke English.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Santander is a very traditionally Spanish city. It is not big and bustling like Madrid. I chose the city because it was smaller and off the beaten track and I am so glad that I did. It is absolutely beautiful and I am dying to go back! Living with a family was one of the best things that I did and I would definitely recommend that you speak Spanish with your friends and try to make friends with Spaniards and locals. Studying abroad is what you make of it, so make it good!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Political Economy of the European Union
Course Department:
Instructor:	Florian
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I thought this class was awesome. Florian knew exactly what he was talking about and was very prepared for class. Not only did the class teach me about the political and economic structure within Europe, the class also gave me a window into European society as a whole and their views on the economy and political situations.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Contemporary History of Spain
Course Department:
Instructor:	Jorge
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Jorge is an awesome professor. He made history fun (and I usually hate history classes). The material was a little bit dry (probably because of my not liking history very much), but overall I learned a lot from the class. It ws great to learn more about the history of Spain while I was living there because I didn't realize how little I knew until I got there.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Spanish Language Level B2
Course Department:
Instructor:	Anabel
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	My Spanish class was definitely the most difficult class that I took while in Spain. It was very different to learn Spanish in Spain and I think that the class was more rigorous because of this expectation. That being said, my Spanish improved tremendously in the time that I was in Spain and this class is one of the reasons that it did. Although it might be difficult at first, the class got easier as my understanding of Spanish got easier. It was very valuable and I would definitely choose to take it again if I returned.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Spain rates their course levels differently than America (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1) be aware of which class you are trying to test into and have approved for credit transfer. Especially what the host university will call it on your transcript returning home.

Course Name/Rating:	History of Spanish Art
Course Department:
Instructor:	Dan
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I went into this class knowing nothing about art and having very little appreciation for it except that it was pretty and came out knowing a ton and wanting to travel to museums all over the world (and especially in Spain). The class moves through time from the first art created in Spain around 20,000 BC to the modern day. It is very understandable if you know nothing about art, but also challenging enough to be beneficial to someone who does have art history knowledge.
Credit Transfer Issues: