Past Review
By Emily H (JD, University of Nebraska- Lincoln) for
University of Minnesota: Study & Intern in Toledo
The program was completely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of NE - Lincoln |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2008 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Because everything was in Spanish, it felt like the actual workload and grading system were a little easier than it would have been at home. Because my grades had to transfer twice (first to U of M, then to Nebraska), my grades came back as P/F, which removed a lot of pressure. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The three individuals (Yuki, Miguel, and Paco) who were the people we dealt with the majority of the time were fantastic! They were always available when you needed them, they were local to Toledo, so they knew all about the areas, and they could help with pretty much anything you needed help with. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Most of the students in the dorms were Americans, though there were a handful of Puerto Rican students, as well as a couple of students from Japan. The main complaint about the dorms was probably the food, though it wasn't terrible. There was Wi-Fi in the dorms, even though the building was really old. Proximity to class was great, since we were in the same building. |
| * Food: |
The food in the dorms was fine - they always had a vegetarian option for students who didn't eat meat - there was a good variety of different things. However, if living in the dorms, eating out once in awhile was almost unavoidable because you just get sick of the food there. Los Cuatros Tiempos, which was just around the corner, was a little pricey but fantastic! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were several trips arranged by the school which were informative and fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The city of Toledo seemed to be incredibly safe; I never heard about anyone having a problem while in the city. A doctor came to the school once a week and it was easy to make an appointment. If a doctor was needed sooner, the school helped you find one, and I believe someone would go with you. |
| 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
| Language acquisition improvement? |
In the dorms, most people used English, but outside of those situations, using Spanish everyday was a must. We had to speak Spanish in class as well as around the city. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I would definitely recommend the program to anyone considering it. It's up to you to make yourself speak Spanish if you're living in the dorms, but the school tries to encourage you as often as they can. The staff at the school/with the program were fantastic, as were the locals, who are used to Americans coming and learning the language as they're there. I feel that pretty much any student seriously considering studying abroad could do this program, as long as they're willing to make an effort to get to know people and really learn about the language and city. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Transition towards Democracy |
| Course Department: | Psci 3513 |
| Instructor: | Angel Herrerin |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Art in Toledo |
| Course Department: | Art 3312 |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The class had a field trip every week, which was nice. The professor also spoke at an elementary level to make sure everyone understood what was happening |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Phonetics |
| Course Department: | Spn 3707 |
| Instructor: | Sol Luque |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Maximizing Study Abroad |
| Course Department: | EdPA 3103 |
| Instructor: | Yuki |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish/English |
| Comments: | When I went, this course was required of anyone there through the U of M. It was mostly a class about the culture of Spain and how you could maximize your stay. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | The class was interesting, but as I was not a U of M student, and was only there through them, this class didn't count for anything at my home university |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Curso de Practicas (Internship) |
| Course Department: | Idis 3970 |
| Instructor: | Miguel and Rosa |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Internship - Regional Parliament - as a political science student, I found this to be quite enjoyable. Twice a week, I went to the Regional Parliament for my internship, where the work generally consisted of data entry. However, did help my language skills remarkably, as no one there spoke English |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No issues |
