Granada, Spain: A cultural experience Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The course load was excellent. It helped me greatly improve my Spanish while also learning about the culture and history of Spain and the peninsular differences in vocabulary not frequently used in the Americas. I was able to quickly adapt to the school system and found the support staff to be honest, caring and helpful if ever I needed it.

On-site administration of your program

My expectations I would say were higher than I expected. I learned more than I thought I would. I saw sights that I had previously only read about in books and also the teachers were very knowledgeable about their subject matter whatever it may be. The program was not too large yet not too small and the program directors were amicable and helped ease the international transition.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host mother was very good to me. She kept me well fed and made sure that the transition was as easy as possible. She had hosted students before so she was understanding and very patient when it came to me attempting to communicate with her. She had everything arranged for me living-wise and would speak with me in the region's particular accent helping to train my ears towards it. The neighborhood was good if a bit old but was right around the corner from the school that I attended, about a 50 second walk making it extremely convenient.

Most of my meals were prepared by my host mother and they were all wonderful. The churros I hear are supposed to be fantastic though I never got the chance to try one. The Spanish tortillas and paella however are traditional Spanish cuisine and they were both wonderful.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

A component of the program was to experience some of the local heritage sites and important areas of Granada. Almost every day for two weeks there was a different cultural activity which exposed me to so many things, such as the Alhambra Palace, the tombs of the catholic monarchs, as well as authentic Spanish flamenco dancing. These were my favorite part of my time in Spain and I enjoyed all the excursions as they also allowed me to get to know my fellow students better and the city too.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Granada is a safe city. Oftentimes I would walk about the streets at night and never had any problems. There are often people out at night anyway so you are never really too far from anyone as Granada is centralized and sometimes crowded.

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

It helped me learn vocabulary of Spain. Since I was immersed in the country as well I heard it and it was reinforced all around me. All of my courses were completely in Spanish which wasn't too difficult to adjust to as my own classes at Colorado State are as such. I was able to go out into the city and practice with the local population as well as try out my Spanish with the host family with whom I stayed during my sojourn there. Neither my teachers nor my host family spoke English so I was completely immersed in Spanish, which I was perfectly fine with though it did get frustrating sometimes, they understood I was a student though so they were appropriately patient.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Host Family

• The cultural activities

• Preparation for dialectal differences