My Summer in Spain was the most Amazing Summer of my Life Past Review
By A student () for
Universitas Castellae: Valladolid - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It helped me very much with my language aquisition, and I met so many amazing people that I know I will be friends with in the years to come.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universitas Castellae |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was very reasonable for how much material we covered in the short 6 weeks. I took 3 classes (9 credits total), so it was a little heavier load than some of my friends who were studying, but it was totally worth it. I learned so much information, and the teachers are wonderful. The whole school atmosphere is much more laid back than American schooling, but we were still able to learn a lot. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our professors were very familiar with our program, and they were able to help us out with any questions we had. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our host family provided everything for us, so we did not need to buy anything extra than our personal belongings. Our neighborhood was very safe and close to the school, and the area was very easily accesible on foot. |
| * Food: |
They have olive oil with everything almost, and they eat a lot of carbs (pasta, rice, etc.) Seafood is also common, but I enjoyed trying all of the new food, and I didn't have any weight gain at all. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Our weekend trips we would take to other cities were some of the best experiences of the entire trip. It really was a bonding experience, and showed us some great sites that we otherwise would not have been able to visit through the school. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
I didn't need any healthcare help, but the teachers always told us that they would be able to take us to the doctor if anything bad happened. As for safety, as long as you are smart about your situation and do not get super close to strangers or people who seem creepy, you will be just fine. I never had any safety issues. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The students I was with spoke English, but we needed to speak Spanish every day with our professors and host families, as well as whenever we went around town. My Spanish improved a lot, and that was only being there for 6 weeks. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Take advantage of every opportunity you are given, since for most it's hard to find the time and money to go back to Europe. |
