Past Review

By Katherine G (HRTM, New Mexico State University) for

Spain Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was most certainly worthwhile. I learned not only lots of Spanish, but about other cultures, and ways of life. This experience pushes you to communicate and live with others who do things differently. This experience has made me a better student because I can now see the importance of retaining knowledge after a class is over. If I forgot things from a previous Spanish class it only made speaking that much harder. I had to study constantly and speak constantly.

Personal Information

The term and year this program took place:	Summer 2009

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The course is intense at first but you end up learning more than you thought.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The administration organized socials to get to know the students. They were also constantly checking up on us to make sure we were doing ok.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	It was clean and comfortable. I had more privacy than I expected. The noise at night was more than I expected and I usually kept my window closed. It was about a fifteen minutes walk to school. Being in the center of town it was minutes from stores and restaurants.
* Food:	The food was fresher and home-cooked. It was very salty though and this took some getting used to. I was always given more food than I could possible eat. The small bars with tapas have the best food avoid the sitdown restaurants if you're on any kind of budget.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	The city of Ronda has a calendar of free or reduced price events during the summer and these include flamenco shows, plays, and jazz or piano concerts.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I was required to get insurance with evacuation to the US which gave me great peace of mind and was cheap. Even in big cities I always felt safe, because the streets are never empty of people.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

Finances

* 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)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Food isn't too much more expensive than in the US. If you go out to eat it's more than if you prepare meals at home. If you want a dollar menu go to the small tapas bars where you can find snacks for a few euros. Make sure whenever you leave town that you have enough for the train or bus back and a few extra euro for food in case you get stranded. Museums always have a student discount so carry your student ID from the school with you.

Language

Language acquisition improvement?	I improved greatly in my ability to understand the language reading, speaking, writing. Now that I know more grammar I understand sentences better.

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Buy a verb book and dictionary to bring with you. Sparknotes has some great verb and grammar charts which help compare things you're learning to English if you're lost. Don't be afraid or embarassed to ask questions the teachers seriously love it and the other students have the same quesitons. There were some classes I asked at least ten questions. Do the homework assignments and look over your notes everyday to keep everything fresh.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Conversation
Course Department:
Instructor:	Maria
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	This course was very helpful because we immediately applied what we were learning in grammar into out speaking skills. Our teacher really focused on expanding our vocabulary and once again making sure we all talked.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Grammar
Course Department:
Instructor:	Amelia
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	This course was extremely challenging. The teacher was very knowledgeable and helpful in answering questions. She genuinely wanted the students to understand the material, and not be frustrated. I participated in class twice as much as usual, because it was so small and the teacher so approachable.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Conversation
Course Department:
Instructor:	Rosario
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	This course was challenging in that no English was spoken and we had to figure out how to communicate in Spanish only. This wasn't scary though, because everyone was having the same trouble. The teacher was very patient and demanded that we speak up in class.
Credit Transfer Issues: