An arduous yet incredibly rewarding half-year in Galicia Past Review
By A student (University of Maine - Orono) - abroad from 01/22/2018 to 07/20/2018 with
Universidad De Santiago de Compostela: Santiago de Compostela - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I can now confidently say I am bilingual, and I have a much deeper understanding of Spanish/Galician history and culture (both through my classes and through conversations with my friends. Speaking of friends, I have an almost global network of close friends that I plan on seeing in the future. Without them this experience would have been much different.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I came into this program thinking I was prepared, yet I was in over my head. While I do not regret my experience, I felt I was ill-equipped to deal with the university system in Europe. Having one exam count for 60% of your final grade was difficult to reconcile, and it hurt my experience overall. While I was aware of this before leaving, I had no experience with it in the U.S., making it challenging. There was also very little planning between faculties, making my particular situation as a double-major much more discouraging. I felt that if I came in understanding Spanish fluently, my classes (apart from one) would have come to me very easily, however there is very little indication as to whether your class is taught in Galician or Spanish. This is up to the professor's discretion. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The international programs office staff were friendly and helpful, although I did not go to them for much assistance. To a point, I was unaware of what they could have helped me with, yet for any paperwork issues, they were very attentive. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Through the Erasmus program (you do not need to be a part of it to benefit!) I encountered my apartment and my two roommates. The group of people I met through searching for housing was largely my friend group in Santiago. |
| * Food: |
I never once ate at the university's cafeterias, however Santiago was full of wonderful restaurants and the supermarkets were very inexpensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Galicia has a strong culture, and Santiago de Compostela is the hub of it all. I was able to experience the many festivals such as Carnival and Ascension, and the international programs often offered visits to local areas to experience even more of the culture. My last day in Spain, I went to Pontevedra and happened upon a local festival completely unknown to me before. The place is brimming with music, drinking, and dancing year round! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
When I came down with a throat infection, I was able to get antibiotics with little delay. However, I suffered severe back pain before leaving and at one point in Santiago it felt as if I was not able to move. I went in and was sad to hear that they cannot assist in a previously contracted ailment. As a result, I suffered along in silence until by luck my months of pain came to an end. While I understand this policy, I find it unfair for something that has the potential to be minor (they wouldn't even look at it through insurance). |
| * Safety: |
This city never once made me feel uneasy. The people are kind, unobtrusive, and aside from drunk college students, the nights are quiet. I, and all of my friends, always felt completely safe in Santiago. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
While I deeply regret my class selection, I feel I gained so much from this experience to not say yes. The other international students, as well as many locals, were so friendly and open to have me as a part of their groups. |
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) |
Santiago de Compostela is a very inexpensive place to live. Food is less expensive in some ways than in the U.S. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $80-120 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cafes and restaurants have incredibly cheap coffee and beer, but don't go overboard, I had many friends who wanted to take advantage of the cheapness but in the end payed just as much due to the amount of times they went out. |
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 |
It is essential that you speak Spanish, however when I arrived, I could hardly speak it. The local language, which you may have classes in as well, was more difficult to get accustomed to, but I eventually (after 3 or 4 months) came to understand it, although I am still unable to speak it. |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPA 305: Applied Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Please come to Santiago with a higher level of understanding than what I had. While I will never regret the decision to come, I probably missed out on two months of classes simply through not understanding them. One thing I succeeded at was finding friends who spoke Spanish as a native language, although many were not from Spain. This meant that whenever I went out, whenever I studied with them, we spoke in Spanish. While they wanted me to help their English, I spent probably 90% of my time in Santiago speaking Spanish. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 that my classes would be offered in the language of choice of the professor, and not in either Spanish or Galician. I also would have appreciated personal experiences of past students (although in my case there had been none sent to this university in many years). Had I known how much I would struggle in some of my classes, I would have chosen to take philology courses with the goal of learning Spanish and translating instead of some of the entry-level history courses I took. My two most difficult classes were also the most rewarding, yet I needed to know what was expected of me come the final exam. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
