Lost on a Deserted Island! Past Review
By A student (University of New Mexico) - abroad from 02/14/2016 to 07/11/2016 with
University of Granada: Granada - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned so much about myself and how independent I can be. It was worthwhile in the sense that I now feel comfortable with my Spanish and I know I can handle a lot, but I wish it would have been more of the mind-blowing experience everyone always talks about.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The school system and support for study abroad students needs a lot of work. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I talked to them once and they didn't want to waste the time to help me especially since I couldn't speak Spanish very well |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My housing made me feel as if I was in a mental hospital. I lived with mold in my room the whole time I was here. |
| * Food: |
The food in Spain is amazing |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Luckily, I made friends easily and was able to go out with them. They made sure to take me to all the very Spanish activities. I learned more from them than my whole time at school. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
My healthcare was suppose to be one of the best, the one that my school recommended. It took them months to find me a psychiatrist, and when I did have an appointment he didn't speak English, gave me five minutes to try and talk to him, but grew bored of my broken Spanish and just wrote me a prescription. Then said we didn't need to see each other again. Zero help. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in my city |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I have many things I would do differently during my time in Spain. Especially the before process of choosing classes and the faculty I was in. |
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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
I went through a lot of money here on school supplies, public transportation, and food |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Almost 200$ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure to account for the first few months being abroad and all the mistakes that you will make. That is where I lost most of my money. |
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 |
My whole schooling was solely Spanish. Very few people spoke English |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPAN 300 or above |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Watch movies with subtitles in Spanish, listen to Spanish music, just go to pubs and listen and then just try even if you feel you sound stupid just give it a chance. The people will be more willing to help you also. |
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?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | That I was going to lose my scholarship and that it was going to be extremely brutal of a semester--academically and personally |
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.' |
