Better than I could have imagined Past Review
By Corinne Winters (The College of New Jersey) - abroad from 01/10/2017 to 04/28/2017 with
Instituto Franklin-UAH: Alcalá de Henares - Study Abroad in Spain
It was absolutely worthwhile; I gained so much knowledge not only in my classes and from my professors but also simply from living in a different country and learning to appreciate the culture and looking at the world from a different point of view
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Loved my classes - challenging but so interesting, and the professors were amazing and always available to answer questions and offer help |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpful, always available to answer questions and very easily accessible |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family treated the experience like a contract; my needs were met but I did not feel very included. I know that most other students had great experiences though |
| * Food: |
The food was absolutely amazing - even being celiac I never had problems |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was so easy to get to know the city and the people; we made friends with waiters and storeowners and kind of became regulars at some of the restaurants and bars |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Streets well lit, often saw police officers patrolling late at night. Always felt safe walking, and other students in the program lived close enough for everyone to walk together |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Instituto Franklin was a really good fit for me and I have no words to describe my love for Alcalá |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 20 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat a lot of meals at home, and take advantage of tapas when you go out. Try to keep a weekly budget and fall into a steady routine to keep you on track. Also be aware that you'll be traveling and try to schedule those weekend trips (especially spring break!) as soon as you can |
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? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 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? | Even when you're with your friends, make sure you speak the foreign language! It's good practice and you won't stick out |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | That the culture shock and homesickness may hit, and the best way to get past it is to not hesitate and dive right into the culture you're in |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
