Past Review
By Kelly C (Biochemistry/Spanish, SUNY - Binghamton) for
Spain Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I thought Spain was a very welcoming and friendly city and am making plans to go back to see more of it. Going on this program was one of the best things that I have done in my life.
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. |
I thought that the workload and difficulty was appropriate for the amount of time and type of program I went to. The teachers were extremely nice and helpful and were very effective with their teaching methods. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I thought that the administration overall was very nice and extremely helpful. They were always willing to help with any questions I had and offered advice where to go for good food or experiences. However, the office hours were at times inconvenient and not very often. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Colegio Mayor Mara. University district in Madrid, Spain <br /><br /> The living arrangement was nice because it had everything in it such as classrooms, dining hall, lounge, pool, etc. The area surrounding the dorm was safe and in close proximity to a metro station for easy traveling. There was also many places to eat and buy essential things for my stay in Madrid. |
| * Food: |
I thought that overall the food was very satisfying and they did a good job incorporating both some basic spanish food and trying to adapt to the american way of eating. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I thought that the program could do a better job organizing some field trips or posting more information of things that we could do by ourselves. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I think the city was a very safe place to be and the doctor came to the dorm whenever someone had a physical ailment. |
| 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? | most of the meals were included and I tried to eat as many free meals as I could. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I did not find that there were any expenses that were unanticipated. |
Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I thought that this study abroad program was worth everything that I paid and was reasonably priced. I loved my experience in Spain |
