CSU IP Granada, Spain Will Forever Be in My Heart! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

lStudying in Spain was overall an easier experience than in California. There were no textbooks to buy and a lot less to do at home. The lectures were mainly all in lecture style with an assumption that the work assigned was done. I felt like I was treated more like an adult in Spain. The most difficult part was getting used to the language. It was a great experience even though it was different.

On-site administration of your program

My experience was beyond my expectations. I could not have asked for a better time. Choosing classes was pretty difficult and I did not find one class that transferred over so I decided to double major. It put me behind a year but I still would not change it for anything!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was able to learn so much from living with international students. i lived with students from Italy, France and England. I felt safe in my neighborhood and felt comfortable in walking home alone at night (still staying in the lighted streets). The apartment came furnished was rented out per room so I didn't have to find roommates. My roommates and I got along very well and are now great friends. Even three years after. I was able to walk to class in 15 minutes and about 40 to another class. It was not bad at all.

When I first went to Spain I had a hard time finding food I enjoyed because I didn't like seafood and the food from California was not available. Once eventually found food I liked and enjoyed myself. One thing I was so excited about in Granada was the Tapas( appetizers). At almost any bar or restaurant you can buy a drink of any kind and receive a tapa for free. It is an amazing way to go out and have a good dinner while hanging out with your friends. I did it every week!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We had three field trips with my group. Each trip was within Spain but was so fun. We did everything from camping to wine tours to canyoning in a river. We were able to see all parts of Spain and how much the country really has to offer. In Spain there are cultural events all the time. This country loves to have a fiesta. Celebrating everything from religion to water to tomatoes, it was always a fun time.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Safety was really fine. Anything that happened was when a girl was walking down an alley alone at night or an accident that could happen anywhere. I felt safe wherever I went, no hesitation. we had a health insurance program with our group and I never had to use it. If anything was wrong I could go to one of the million pharmacies and fix whatever I needed.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

English was completely lost while I was in Spain except when I talked to my parents at home. There were opportunities to join in intercambios with Spanish people. Every class was in Spanish and it was encouraged to live with others who did not speak English. i was so please with this. I went to Spain with little Spanish experience and let fluent in speaking, reading and writing.

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• Apartment

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• International Students