If I was given a chance to do it all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat!!! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

You MUST be fluent in spanish to attend this university. Teachers are not understanding of exchange students. They actually dislike exchange students and are not afraid to show it. The only thing I hated about my experience abroad was school. It is hard. Spanish courses are even hard. I am pretty much fluent in spanish, and I was barely able to get by. You have to be practically native to understand everything. Don't go here if you need credit for classes and need a good grade. Its a newly established university, so everything is very unorganized. You dont pick your classes until you get there. Toward the end everything seemed to work out though, that is why i gave it some stars. It got easier for me to understand proffessors and I began to interact with Spanish classmates so it helped a lot.

On-site administration of your program

The advisor Javier was very willing to help you with whatever you needed, however the proffessors are not on the same page as the on site administration for exchange students.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I LOVE the fact that we got to choose our own flat. It was stressful in the beginning and I had to stay at a hotel for a couple nights, but I had a volunteer to help me in my search. Living in the city was AWESOME. you do NOT want to live on campus, it is soooo far from everything and the buses dont even run all the time at all hours so it just sucks if you live on campus. no one does it. Try living as close to the port and churuka(bars) as possible that's where all the action is :] Sometimes you even have an option to live with spanish people, which would be the best way to go if you want to speak spanish all the time!

Everything is the same. but it is good nonetheless. Alot of potatoes, meat, and bocadillos (sandwiches). You will figure out what you like and dont like with time. plus there are grocerie stores everywhere so its not hard to just cook your own stuff

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I give it one less star for lack of cultural integration with the actual people from spain. BUT that might sort of be my fault. Vigo's program is wonderful in the sense that is has an ESN program for all the exchange students from all over. So it is really cool you build a strong bond with people from everywhere, you go on loads of trips, and you party alllll the time, but then you forget about the people in the city. I would say the best way is to meet Spanish people in your classes and go out with them every once in a while to get a taste of their life. They seem kind of rude on the outside, but are actually extremely cool once you reach out to them. You have to make the first move for sure. But seriosly, the ESN program was EVERYTHING for me. I dont know what I would have done without it. I met all my close friends through them. It is like a huge family of over 100 people from all over the world. They have such helpful volunteers.... BUT when you go on their trips, be prepared to do a lot of standing around, and not enough sight seeing. They revolve everything around partying wherever you go. But it is fun. I just would recommend doing a lot of trips on your own. OR going when they go somewhere and just party with them at night and organize your own sightseeing during the day.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I got sick a lot. The pharmacies are very willing to help you. Going to the clinic is pointless when you are sick. Just go to the pharmacy :] They have them everywhere. And you dont need a prescription to get the medicine. It is awesome.

I have never felt more safe in my life. I would go out every weekend and walk by myself at night at the oddest hours and feel safe. All the buildings where you live are very secure. You just have to be smart. Dont get wasted by yourself. Dont get in anyones car. Look both ways. Use common sense and you are good.

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

If you make your own food and everything... Traveling is what gets you. Depending on how much traveling you want to do... But life in vigo is very cheap. Rent is more than reasonable, just dont leave the heater on.... Going out is cheap.... drinks are cheap... Try not to go to restauraunts too much. CAFE BRASIL is AMAZING! drinks come with free tapas. Just find deals like that and you are good.... Vigo university gave me a check for 2500 euros from the 5,000 US dollars I gave to ISEP. that is good enough for housing and food. Traveling is what gets expensive.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

you have to know how to speak spanish to go to school there. I would say that going to school in all spanish speaking classes improved my spanish. But living with two english speakers didnt really do much for my spanish obviously.

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• Apartment

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• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The ESN program and the people i met and the trips i went on
• living near the beach and excellent transportation system
• the freedom i had to choose what i wanted to do

• the schooling system overall
• the initial looking for an apartment.