A Semester in Spain Past Review
By A student (Spanish Language Teacher Education., University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 08/25/2012 to 12/15/2012 with
Universitas Castellae: Valladolid - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained a lot of confidence with speaking the language. I also had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling.
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. |
Courses were all taught in Spanish and the instructors were very eager to help students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The director had an office at the school and was always available if we needed anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mom treated me like one of her own children. |
| * Food: |
My host mom was a wonderful cook and always gave me too much to eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Our university was not part of the actual university but was made up of only the people in our program, so it was fairly difficult to meet people. My host family included me in their social gatherings, which was the only way I ever met anyone new. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no problems with health while abroad, but the instructors were always understanding if we were sick and could not make it to class. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt anxious or afraid, even if I was walking alone at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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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? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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 had known I would be in classes with only other American students. While it was helpful at times and made classes a lot easier, it made meeting Spaniards very difficult. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
