a second home is found Past Review

By (University of Connecticut) - abroad from 01/15/2016 to 05/15/2016 with

UConn: Granada - UConn in Granada, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I'm much more comfortable with listening to and processing Spanish information. I have a wider perception of the world and also have seen what it is like to live in a small city. This was new to me coming from rural Connecticut

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I would like to have taken classes at the actual university integrated with the Actual Spanish students. I spoke to other students who were given that option and took a class at the actual university as a pass/fail option.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Trip was Well put together but our coordinator was hard to communicate with and scattered at times

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

this was the best part of my experience. My host family was incredible

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Would not recommend hosting students in the albaicin region. Not quite as safe as the city center, somewhat isolated and it's a long walk

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $75
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? book flights early

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Difficult to always speak Spanish with a group of English speaking students that is always together.

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? 3000 spanish
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? Communicate with your host family as much as possible

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Living with a host family
  • taking planned trips with the UConn group
* What could be improved?
  • SIM cards with data instead of old flip phones
  • classes offered at the actual university
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? spend as much time as you can in Granada. The cities in Europe are incredible but none of them feel like home as much as Granada. Leave some weekends open to spend their and you won't regret it.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!