Cadiz: The Most Incredible Six Months of My Life Past Review
By Laura D (Special Education and Teaching., SUNY - College at Geneseo) for
University of Cadiz: Cadiz - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I have become so much more confident and independent from this experience. In addition, I met people from all over the world, which was truly eye-opening. From major cultural differences about politics and day-to-day life to little differences, it was an incredible learning experience.
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 educational system in Spain put much more emphasis on the final exam and a large project/paper, rather than spreading the work throughout the semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We were very much left to our own devices when it came to finding housing, registering for classes, etc. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I found housing by calling numbers on fliers posted throughout the school building, and by getting in touch with a local landlord. The neighborhood was very safe; no matter when I was out, I felt comfortable walking around. Living in the old part of Cadiz, everything was a 15-minute walk away, at most. I didn't need to buy anything for my apartment other than food and toiletries. With my host family, I was treated well. |
| * Food: |
Almost every restaurant that I went to around Cadiz had excellent food. In addition, the groceries at the supermarket were very reasonably priced. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Cadiz had many festivals, from Carnaval, to Semana Santa, to a medieval fair. It was incredible to be a part of the culture through these events. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The city was very safe. I didn't have any issues with health, other than a cold, but medicine was easily accessible. |
| 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 checked the exchange rate very frequently. If it was fairly low, I would take out a larger amount of money to have in case the rate was very high when it came time to pay rent/make some other purchase later on. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 302 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced the language in my classes, with my host family (for the first three weeks), and with my housemates (for the remainder of the semester). There were many students that spoke English, however. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This program is good for someone who is very independent. I felt that we were very much left on our own in terms of housing, registration, getting set up, etc. I'd recommend sticking together with the other people in the program and/or talking to someone who has been before to make the transition easier |
