Spain was the best experience of my life! - FORSPRO Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I rated it a 3 because the class was very boring but also easy. I had previously taken courses very similar to the ones I took in Spain so it wasn't challenging for me which I was not upset about. The workload was very reasonable. We had homework but it wasn't an unfair amount. Some of my friends had a lot of work and I thought that was unfair to them.

On-site administration of your program

The program was very organized. We always had help in the airport, directing us where to go. There was transportation from the airports to the dorm and vise versa. I would not have been able to travel abroad without the great organization and help from the FORSPRO staff. While in the dorm there was constantly flyers and posters up about different activities we could participate in outside of the dorm. A FORSPRO employee would lead the activity and make sure we were seeing as much of Spain as possible. However towards the end there was not as many planned activities in the beginning and that was dissappointing. I feel like the program size was great, not too big not too small and my expectations were definitley met.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved living in the dorm and being with all our friends rather than being with a host family. We had our own room and bathroom which was great and it was a nice size. They provided us with sheets and towels which were changed every week. The location was perfect- there were restaurants, bars and supermarkets right near us and the metro stop was so close. The dorm was extremely safe.

I would probably rate the food a 2.5. For breakfast it was always the same cereals and the time we had breakfast clashed with class. Breakfast was 8-9 and class was at 9:30 so then you would just sit around for a half hour which was irritating. There was a lot of fish and pork served which I don't enjoy too much and when there was chicken served the meat was sometimes pink and undercooked. I think the selection of food was very unhealthy- as a side dish chips and french fries were served too often. A vegetable would have been nice or even a fruit. I didn't eat fruit for an entire month. For future students a great place to dine outside of the dorm is Ginos which is very close- it's an italian restaurant and it has great food for a great price. Also the snack bar had good food.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I met amazing friends on this trip and we had the time of our lives. A memorable cultural event was the Flamanco show which was amazing. Just going out into the city and shopping or going to the museums and parks was so much fun and great to see. The bars and clubs were fenomenal and the natives were so nice.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

If someone was sick they could talk to a FORSPRO administrator and they would lead them to a doctor or pharmacy. I felt extremely safe throughout the program. The dorm was very safe because we had to leave our key when we left and show our ID when we returned. While out in the city holding onto your bag is extremely important. If you are aware of your belongings you will not get pick pocketed.

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

My language skills didn't improve much because the only time I was forced to speak Spanish was out in the city at restaurants and bars/clubs. While ordering food you're using the same verbs everytime "can I have". Speaking to the natives in the bars and clubs and to the cab drivers was a great experience however I don't feel as though I improved as much as I thought I was going to. In order to really improve you must speak it constantly and be abroad for more than 4 weeks.

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• Americans

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• Americans