A Splendid Santiago Summer! Past Review
By A student (Chemistry., Loras College) - abroad from 06/01/2013 to 07/12/2013 with
Universidad De Santiago de Compostela: Santiago de Compostela - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned so much Spanish and gained so many friends from Canada, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and more! It was definitely worthwhile to push myself outside my comfort zone and experience a new culture!
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 course was challenging enough, so I learned a lot but it wasn't overwhelming! |
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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? |
I loved living with my Spanish family. They were really nice and my Spanish definitely improved as I talked to them. |
| * Food: |
I cooked my own food but I really liked the arrangement! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Santiago was the perfect place to immerse yourself. The only problem with the summer program is that a lot of Spanish students are gone. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any health issues. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe in Santiago all the time! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | $200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you plan to travel away on the weekend, I would recommend choosing the board option where you stay with a host family but cook your own food. |
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? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | College 300 level |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | I wish I knew how easy it was to travel to surrounding cities on the weekends! |
