Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I think that my educational experience was great. I really enjoyed going to school everyday because I enjoyed learning new things and the teachers were always willing to help me if I needed anything.

On-site administration of your program

Well the staff in Ronda really helped me (especially Joaquin and Manolo). They were also always willing to answer any questions I had. They would give me advice on great tourist places to visit over the weekend. In general, the program was a great experience and the size of the classes were great because it allowed us to feel more comfortable.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved the host family I stayed with. The were very friendly and made me feel welcome in their home. They also gave me my privacy and allowed me to travel everywhere I wanted to go. They were also very good about preparing meals that I liked. Since I am very picky with my food, they really took into consideration my likes and dislikes. I felt safe in the neighborhood that I lived in. It was a short walking distance from school and it was in the center of the town.

I did not particularly care for Spanish food. However, I ate at a couple of Spanish restaurants and tried a couple of their popular dishes. I found a couple of good, cheap places to eat that were not too far from home. Eating at restaurants does get pretty expensive so make sure to budget.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Since I was only there for a month, I had to make the most of my time. Every weekend I would travel to a different city and experience many of the cultural attractions they had. My favorite place was the Alhambra in Granada. It was very beautiful. The experience that I hated was a bull fight that we went to in Sevilla. I just think that killing six bulls in one event is horrible.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Overall, I felt really safe in Ronda. I could walk to and from school without having to worry about anything. At night, I could walk home safely too. If I would stay out late, I would stay in a group and we would all walk home together. When walking around new cities, just use common sense about what streets to take and how late to be out.

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

Even though I am a native Spanish speaker, studying abroad really helped me learn new things. Since my host family only spoke Spanish, I learned many new words that are used over there. I really liked talking with my host family because they would talk to me about traditions, people, religion, and just about their culture in general.