Cádiz: Beautiful City With a Challenging Academic Program Past Review
By Amanda M (International Relations, Spanish, SUNY - College at Geneseo) for
University of Cadiz: Cadiz - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
My experience was very worthwhile. I gained self-confidence and became more independent because it was the first time in my life that I had to rely on myself for everything, and I liked that even though it was hard at times. Although some times were tough, I'm so glad I stuck it out because once things became more familiar I had a fantastic time and made lifelong connections and memories.
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. |
Academically, I felt the caliber was equal to that of Geneseo. The difficulty is that the classes are in another language (and a very difficult dialect) and that for many classes the entire grade is the final. Some teachers were better than others, which is normal. The workload was odd because the first month I had no work and towards the end I had an overwhelming work load, however I believe that having to leave early in order to be back in time for Geneseo's semester played a factor in that. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I never saw my on-site program administrator and I feel that that was the main weakness of my program. I felt that it was too independent and that I did not have the support in Cádiz that I would have liked. It was particularly difficult during the entire month of class registration. I feel there needs to be an advisor in the UCA International Relations office, like there is for all of the other study abroad programs and the ERASMUS students, in order for us to have equal help while we are in Cádiz. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
At first, I was treated by my host family as just another person living in the house, almost like a renter. However, with time I was treated just like one of their daughters. I had a very fulfilling experience and really enjoyed my host family. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I advise to spend the money because it is a once in a lifetime experience. Everything was more expensive than I expected, especially travel, but rather than preoccupying myself over it I just enjoyed my time there, tried to be frugal, and also let myself indulge a bit. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | It is difficult to assess the level of the classes because in order to meet Geneseo requirements I was taking classes from many different areas. I believe my Historia Antigua de España class was a higher level course. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced language with everyone because most people did not speak English. I spoke spanish with my host family, professors, friends at school, store owners, etc. |
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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