Granada- Nothing like I expected, but more than I could've hoped for Past Review
By A student (Providence College) - abroad from 02/01/2012 to 05/15/2012 with
Spain Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I gained a lot of confidence, independence and flexibility from my experience abroad. I learned how to collaborate within a intercultural setting. I learned how to problem solve. I also learned how separate any observations I had from judgements or analisis. The program was absolutely worthwhile. I was SO sad to go! I wish it were longer. I loved my experience and would not trade it for anything in the world. It was one of the highlights of my life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The program is very well structured and really focuses on reflecting on and integrating your classroom, travel and volunteer experiences. For a study abroad program it's the right amount of work--always something to do but not too much. You are not going to get the same amount of work that you do in your home institution, and quite frankly you shouldn't while you're studying abroad. The program is designed for students with not a very high level of Spanish so for me personally, after already having spent a semester in a full immersion program in Madrid, it was a little easy. However, the program is good about encouraging you to use your Spanish as much as possible. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administrators had everything fairly organized and were always available to help you with whatever you needed. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was amazing!!!!!! All the families that SIT chooses are really great and all have kids in the family so that you can know Spanish youth. My house had plenty of space and I felt right at home. |
| * Food: |
I mostly ate with my host family, but my friends and I would always make time to go out for tapas which were really good (and free with drinks in Granada!). Huge plus! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I think the program did a pretty good job at integrating us. We lived with host families and did a community service project which had us working directly with members of the Spanish society. The only thing I would've liked more would be if we had more interaction with Spanish university students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
They were addressed during orientation and taken care of as needed. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe in Granada and with the program. No qualms here. |
| 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) |
Eating in Spain is very cheap so if you go out that's not a problem. I ate with my host family a fair amount though. The only things that are pricey are discotecas (cover fee plus any additional drinks not included with the cover). I spent a fair amount on clothes too. As far as Europe goes, Spain is one of the more economical countries. |
| * 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? | 150 euro/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a budget and try and stick to it. Also, look into your bank's policy on taking money out because you can get hit with a lot of fees when extracting cash abroad, and those add up after awhile. Also, something important to think about is if you aren't in a major city (i.e. Madrid or Rome, wherever you are), flights are going to be more expensive. Even if you fly from a major airport you still have to pay a fair amount to travel by bus or train to get there. Just something to think about... |
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 |
They always encouraged us to use the language. Definitely in classes and with our host family we had to use only Spanish, but as far as when we were on our own, it was really up to us to use it. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | 300 level literature course |
| 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? | Living in a host family or with native students is a great way. Also, watching the TV and listening to music in the target language is great for practicing. Doing service of some sort or joining a club or something is also helpful in practicing the language. It's important to take advantage of your environment and practice the language as much as possible. It is rare that you will have that opportunity again. |
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? | You have classes five days a week. That the CSP is different from an ISP (there is no ISP). It actually does get very cold in Granada. |
