A private university in small-town Spain Past Review
By A student (Radio, Television, and Digital Communication., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 09/02/2013 to 12/21/2013 with
University of Navarra: Pamplona - Direct Enrollment & Exhange
I learned a lot with regard to the Spanish language and culture and about many other international cultures. I got to travel and see new parts of Europe and meet all sorts of people.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Doing a full course load would have been much more difficult, but taking a reduced (but still full-time) course load was not too bad. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpful, friendly, and accommodating administration. They are frequently not very organized or don't know the answer to certain questions, but they try their best to help and figure things out. Everybody sincerely cares. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in an apartment with two other students. It was much cheaper than US housing, and it was all very high quality. |
| * Food: |
YUM. Food in the university cafeterias was excellent, but the service is very slow during peak hours. However, I assume that the high quality of the food is due to their attention to every meal instead of trying to mass produce everything (the reason for the slow service). Everything is well priced, and the cafeteria staff is very friendly and helpful. Food outside of the university is also excellent. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
With such a huge international student population at the Universidad de Navarra, it was sometimes hard to feel like part of the local culture. However, my Spanish classmates and flatmates were very friendly and made efforts to make me feel at home. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally had no health issues while abroad, but the friends I had who did get sick were quickly attended to at the local hospitals. However, I was disappointed with the lack of a student mental health service. At UT Austin we have a great mental health facility on campus, and I was disappointed that my options in Pamplona were either to just deal with it, talk to professors (who were all very kind), or go to a British-run hospital or psychologist. |
| * Safety: |
I felt incredibly safe in Pamplona. At no point during my time in the city did I feel in danger even late at night. That being said, I rarely found myself off the beaten path after 23:00. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
If you factor in how inexpensive housing is, it is very easy. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You can get a nice apartment in Pamplona for 300 euros per month. It's possible to get a good one for 200 euros per month. Groceries are very cheap if you cook a lot. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
All of my classes were in Spanish. My professors spoke English pretty well even though the classes were conducted in Spanish, so I could ask them questions and speak to them in English if I wanted to. For two classes I was not required to write in Spanish on the final exam, but I did have to write in Spanish for my screenwriting class. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced Grammar and Composition (SPN 327G) |
| 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? | Use it every day. Force your classmates to speak with you in Spanish even if it's easier to speak English. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | They charge students who are not in the economics faculty for Spanish language courses. This is a small school, and I attended every class with the same 40 local students. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
