Building Confidence Abroad Past Review
By Kelsey (University of North Texas) - abroad from 05/29/2017 to 07/01/2017 with
Spain Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I would study abroad all the time if I could. I learned that as much as a plan for everything to go smoothly, life just laughs and says "nope" and you still have to deal with things, and you can either handle it gracefully and continue to enjoy yourself and your time in the beautiful cities you travel to or let it get you down. I learned that saying yes is so rewarding. I met a guy on the 7 hour plane ride to Spain, we hit it off as friends, and a couple weeks later I went up to Madrid alone and we walked around the city together. I asked someone I met at a party to hang out with me and I helped them practice English, and now we are friends. You really never know the experiences and the love you can find in the world unless you are willing to silence the cautious voice you find in your head. It's definitely there for a reason, but I learned when it was safe to let my guard down while I was abroad. My life is better for it.
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. |
The classes were very challenging for me, as I was only at the intermediate level of Spanish when I went and everything was taught in Spanish. However, if the classes were not difficult, I doubt I would have grown as much with my proficiency in the language. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was great. A member of the staff, Edu, accompanied me on 2 doctors visits in order to translate. Another office member went with me to the post office to translate in Spanish to help me get a medicine from overseas. They were so kind and understanding. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was wonderful. My host mother always provided us with plenty of food and stayed up and worried about us if we were out later than she expected. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program does a terrific job exposing you to the culture. We went to see a flamenco performance, to the Nerja beach, hiking through villages in the mountains, to an Arabic spa, a tea-tasting, a food tasting, and more things I forgot honestly, they do such a good job and I loved Spain. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I went to the doctor on 2 separate occasions. The first, my throat was swollen, I was running a fever and just feeling gross, and the second I was coughing for a week straight. One of the staff accompanied me to the doctor and translated for me. She also went with me to the pharmacy. And health care in Spain is really cheap too. The doctor's visit cost 40 euros each time and I think I got 3 or 4 different medications each time, antibiotics, cough syrup and the like, and the meds didn't cost more than 17 euros. The doctor also does the full examination, there is no preliminary nurse to check your fever and weight, the doctor completes all that themselves, which makes it feel much more personalized. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in Granada. You could walk a mile or so back to your host home late at night and there would still be many people on the streets since the Spanish stay up so late, and there aren't really many sketchy areas around the center of the city. If you ever do feel unsafe or if you have been drinking, cabs are only a short walk away. They have little areas they sit which are marked with a taxi sign. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Sol Education goes out of their way to make sure everything goes smooth for you and to really immerse you in the culture. It really is because of their staff, they are some of the kindest and genuine people I have ever met in my life, and they are truly invested in teaching you about their culture. |
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) |
I didn't really stick to a budget, I lived it up. But I would say to count in for emergencies, you should plan to have at least $100/week if you are trying to be frugal and only go out every now and then for food or drinks. But this program provides you with all the meals you need, if you want to go out that's just extra money you spend. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | When you travel around big cities, always take the metro. I went to Madrid by myself and was so worried I was going to get lost, but it's really not hard to figure out and you can find the map online and they have free print outs at the station. Only take a taxi if you are running late, it's a really long distance (more than 45 mins is a longer walk in Europe) or you have blisters or are extremely tired. If you do need a ride, call an Uber, Lyft or whatever app-cab service is popular. It is cheaper than the normal city taxis. You should try to walk everywhere if you can because you find beautiful views and hidden gems that you wouldn't be able to experience in the car. When you go to museums and cultural attractions, always present them with your study abroad institution ID or international student ID. I got into the Prado museum in Madrid for free with this. |
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 |
All the time and I loved it. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Watch Netflix shows with subtitles in the language you are practicing and English audio, or vice versa, or just watch the whole thing in the foreign language and then go back and watch in English and see if you got the gist of it. Sign up for a language exchange group, I found one in Granada on FB and was able to meet several people who wanted help with English and in return would help me speak Spanish. I made some life-long friends doing this. |
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? | How dry the climate was, because I think that's why I had a sore throat and was coughing so much. I was used to the Texas humidity. I wish I knew the specifics of how getting a SIM card worked. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
