Being in Granada was a magical time for me, I experienced so much in such a beautiful place! Past Review
By Niamh L (Biology and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh) for
University of Granada: Granada - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
My study abroad experience was definitely worhtwhile. I learned a lot about the culture of Southern Spain and really grew as an indiidual. I am a more well rounded person after studying abroud and my mind is more open to new possibilties and experiences.
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. |
The classes in the University of Granada were great! They were a little easier than classes I took at my home university, partly because I am a science major and I took no science classes in Granada. But the teachers were excellent and everything was very interesting. I took classes to learn more about the history, literature and culture of Spain and when outside the classroom I experienced it all myself. We had no class on Fridays which was great becasue it allowed us to take long weekends for traveling and the work load was not too intense. It was perfect because it gave us more time to experience the city. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Study abroad office at Pitt is very good and really encourages students to study abroad. The staff are very knowledgeable and they give you a lot of options. The on;ly negative ting was I didn't feel I got a lot of individual attention and had to figure out a lot of stuff on my own. This is probably becasue there is not enough staff to deal with the large amount of students that study abroad. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing was all arranged for us when we got there and it was a very nice apartment in a nice area tha was walking distance from everything. |
| * Food: |
The food in Granada is great, especially the tapas. I would encourage any student that goes there to take advantage of tapas, they are delicious and Granada is the only city in Spain where they come free with your drink. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Our program had about 5 different excursions throughout Spain. I ;oved going on these becasue our grtoup really bonded and had a lot of fun together. It was great seeing other parts of SPain and being able to compare them. My favourite place we went was Seville becasue it is a beautiful city, we got a great tour, and we got flamenco dancing lessons! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Granada is very safe and we never had any problem being out late at night or anything. It is a town full of students and we never heard of much crime. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
A lot of people in Granada learn english in school but hardly anoone spoke it fluently or on a regular basis. We had to use the language in everyday intereaction with cab drivers, store clerks, waitresses, etc. so it was really easy to practice. Also, it was easy to find spanish students to chat to when you were out at night. The University also had a program that would set you up witha Spanish student and you could meet and practice eachothers langauge. |
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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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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 would encourage students to pick a program after doing a lot of research and to try your best to live with a host family. I had a lot of fun with my roommates in my apartment but I have friends who lived with a family and really improved their Spanish and formed meaningful relationships with their families. Also, save as much money as you possibly can! |
