More than I could have imagined. Past Review
By Kaitlyn S (Public Policy Analysis., University of California - Riverside) for
Spain Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
learned about myself and other cultures
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. |
grading system-a bit tweaked. workload-every day Spanish homework, just to keep it up; occassional small papers and then at the end of the program, a final paper of about 12 pages in Spanish. I didn't think I could even do that, but I did and it was quite the achievement! Teaching methods-Spanish class works so 3 times a week are grammar days and the other 2 are conversational, with topics from literature to social issues to cultures, etc. Very effective in my opinion. teaching method: This is an experiential, observational learning program which means it includes an equal amount of field work (travels to Morocco and other parts of Spain for class) as it does classroom time. I think it's the best way to learn, especially being abroad. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
strengths-language component (if you are fairly advanced in the language though, I would not recommend the program. Most people are fairly intermediate when they arrive, at least for me) -small program, more focus -seminar and topics were extremely interesting -lecture professors were good -language professors were EXCELLENT. -travels in program were great. weaknesses: if you have never taken spanish before, do not do the program and if you are pretty advanced, I wouldn't recommend it. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
okay |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
good |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
ok |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | personal expenses=25 euro/wk, maybe even less at times. Luckily Granada is extremely cheap-2 euros for a drink AND food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | travel is expensive, as anticipated. But Granada is the best place to go if trying to spend less money..and I didn't even know before getting there! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | about 2 1/2 semesters of the language, and a little rusty because I finished taking Spanish in December and studied abroad the following september. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
practice, go to class, find intercambios (places outside of school time where you can practice your Spanish and help people improve their English), also lived with a host family Yes, used Spanish every day. No, most people did not speak English in Granada. In fact, a very small percentage do. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | do it. |
