Never sweat the small stuff Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I wouldn't want any more difficulty in terms of assignments while studying abroad. The biggest challenge was just the language barrier. If the courses were any harder it would have been very difficult to study and still have fun.

On-site administration of your program

I do not believe Rosa Helena is equipped to lead the program. She was very hard to get a hold of, and when you did, her responses generally didn't make much sense and often times didn't address the topic raised in the first place.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was very happy with how close my house was to the university. It was an adjustment trying to live with the host family however. While I'm grateful for the opportunity to practice my Spanish in the house everyday, it definitely felt like a loss of autonomy. I and many of the other students on the trip sometimes felt awkward having to tell the families that we would be eating out with friends or what have you.

Spanish food in general isn't the greatest in my opinion. I had no problems telling my senora what I did and didn't like to eat, and she would accommodate me in that sense.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

By the end of the trip I felt integrated, especially once I realized that my Spanish had dramatically improved.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had an infected toe, so I went down to the clinic that Rosa Helena had recommended. Aside from her recommendation, she did nothing else for me. I did not have a translator present. No vaccines were required for this program.

I would say for the most part this city was safe, though I am a six-foot male. Some of the girls would get followed or harassed at night if they weren't being walked home.

I think I would have enjoyed being able to live with other students in a residence or dorm more than the host family.

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

If I budgeted the money, it wouldn't be too hard. By the end of the trip, I was not buying anything besides food/drink. The largest expenses were for flights and trips to other countries on weekends.

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Apartment

Select all that apply

• International Students
• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans

• Ease of classes
• Learning Spanish
• Granada itself

• rosa - she means well but is incapable of running the program
• help for students in terms of jobs/internships while overseas
• program phones were unreliable

The Outright Urbanite