Study Abroad-Greatest Experience Ever! Past Review
By Allison D (Saginaw Valley State University) - abroad from 06/24/2012 to 07/21/2012 with
Spain Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I became more independent, and greatly improved my Spanish language skills, and my confidence in my skills. It was definitely the most worthwhile thing I have ever done.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were taught entirely in Spanish, so I really learned the language and was able to have conversations, as well as improve my oral and listening skills. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very good, except for the first day when I arrived at the school, they spoke to me entirely in Spanish, and I was jet lagged, and I was unsure of how the school operated, so I was a little confused on where to go and what to do for the placement test. But they were very helpful and understanding, and it turned out just fine. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Absolutely wonderful. I had my own bedroom and bathroom, and my host family was very friendly and my host mom made some excellent meals. Home stays are definetly the way to go! |
| * Food: |
My host mom prepared typical Spanish dishes, like paella, fajitas, and gazpacho (delicious!), but also dishes that were similar to what Americans eat (salads, spaghetti, even deviled eggs one day!) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
CLIC offers cultural programs every day, such as tours around the city or to the bullring or museums, along with visits to nearby towns and destinations, as well as weekend trips to the beach or Morocco. It was very easy to find a way to fit in with the culture and to experience it to the fullest. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally did not experience Spanish healthcare. Vaccinations were not needed to travel to Spain. |
| * Safety: |
Sevilla gives the feeling of being in a big European city, while also being small enough that one can easily become familiar with the streets and neighborhoods and feel comfortable navigating them. People stay up late in Sevilla, so there are always other people out at night. I did not experience any problems with safety or feel uncomfortable. My suggestion is to be smart and travel with a friend if you feel unsure about exploring a new city on your own. CLIC gives a tour of the city every Monday evening, which is a good way to orient yourself and learn about getting around and where to go. |
| 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) |
Being a student, it was very easy to be cheap while getting around. Many of the destinations I was able to get in free or at a discounted rate when I showed my student ID. Food can be cheap and still be good; a good way to get a lot of food for less money is to have tapas (Spanish appetizers basically) and order several tapas to split with others, so you can try a lot of food, but not spend too much money. Also, avoid buying bottled water at tourist places, it's much cheaper if you get it from a supermarket or a convenience store ( I once found a 1.5L bottle of water for only .70€ |
| * 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? | 60€ a week usually |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Dont buy the first thing you see, wheterh it is food or a souvenir. You can probably find it cheaper and better if you look around a little. |
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 |
Classes were entirely in Spanish; the teachers like for the students to speak only Spanish to one another. This might sound intimidating, but it's the best way to learn, and you catch on very quickly. Also, you may have classmates who do not speak the same native language as you, so the only language you can commmunicate in is Spanish The teachers are helpful when it comes to explaining, and they want to help everyone learn and understand as much as possible. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I had taken Spanish 211 at my university |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Try to practice as much before the program, and once there, embrace it. I had taken many years of Spanish before this experience, but my study abroad trip really helped me to better comprehend and to speak the language. You're going to struggle a bit and make mistakes, but the teachers and other students are understanding and it's all part of learning. Being immersed all day, every day allowed me to learn quickly and greatly improve my Spanish language skills. |
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 didn't realize how much it would impact my life and my view of the world. It really changes you! |
