The best 5 months of my life in Alicante Past Review
By A student (St. Joseph's College New York) - abroad from 01/06/2012 to 05/20/2012 with
Spain Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
My experience in Spain was more than worthwhile. It was easily the best 5 months of my life and completely changed my life. Before Spain I planned on coming home to NY, graduating and getting married in 5 years and living in NY for the rest of my life. Now, I don't have a plan and I don't believe in making plans. My number one goal right now is to keep practicing my Spanish and ultimately move back to Spain to teach English in 2 years. I learned that there is an entire world out there for me to explore and I learned that I am in control of my own future and I don't want anything or anyone else to keep me from that. I matured as a young adult and learned a lot about myself and the person that I want to be. I learned the appreciate the little things and not to take time or anything for granted. Spain taught me to relax and just enjoy the moment - to take life one day at a time. Probably the greatest things I gained were 1 - my improvement in Spanish and 2 - the friends that I made. I know that I will be friends with them for the rest of my life, no matter how far apart we live in the US.
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. |
All of the professors were excellent and I learned so much. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was incredible. They made me feel right at home right away, I never felt uncomfortable, unwanted, or like a burden whatsoever. We had a great bond and they are a large part of what made my experience so amazing. |
| * Food: |
The food was amazing! That's why I gained about 10 pounds... |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made so many friends and I never felt like an outsider in the city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally never had any health issues, but a few of my friends who did never experienced any problems and were always taken care of immediately. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in Alicante until I got mugged on my last weekend. Fortunately I wasn't hurt and the only things stolen were my international phone and my camera. |
| 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) |
I spent more money than I would have liked, but I also did a lot of traveling, eating, drinking, etc. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 30 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save as much as you can before you go, use your international phone and your bus cards sparingly |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
My host family didn't speak any English so I was forced to speak Spanish at home the entire time, which was great. I spoke English amongst my American friends, but mainly spoke Spanish with my international friends. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I am only 2 classes away from completing my major |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Speak Spanish as much as possible with your American friends. Watch TV, read the newspaper, speak with your host family as much as possible, get a conversation partner. Don't rely on English. The more you practice, the more you improve. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | I wish I had been informed about my classes and my host family before I arrived in Spain, but other than that, Cynthia prepared me very well and was very supportive in answering all of my questions. |
