Best Semester Ever Past Review
By A student (Syracuse University) - abroad from 08/26/2018 to 12/14/2018 with
Syracuse University: Madrid - Syracuse University in Madrid
Aside from my Spanish dramatically improving I gained the confidence to hold a conversation with someone who I knew I couldn’t immediately switch to English with if I got stuck on a word
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Teachers taught as well as they would on campus. The courses were challenging but interesting. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved being able to practice and improve my spanish and see different cities in Spain that I normally would not have travelled to. |
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) |
You have the ability to spend what you’re comfortable with. I chose to travel every weekend and spend roughly $4,000 throughout the semester. While others stayed mostly in madrid |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I was only buying lunch which was $3-10 per day |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Set a budget of what you want to spend and plan trips accordingly so you get the most of your time there |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 level spanish class |
| 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? | Try. Locals will help you and appreciate the effort |
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? | 10+ |
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? | It is exhausting traveling all the time and feeling like you have to experience everything. But it is ok to take a break and relax for some time to not run yourself down |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
