Really wonderful-- exactly what I needed from Cursos Internacionales Past Review
By Bailey Mitchell (Eastern Illinois University) - abroad from 06/05/2017 to 07/28/2017 with
University of Salamanca: Salamanca - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned a greater degree of independence and how far I have yet to go with my Spanish skills. It didn't discourage me to not always understand locals or classwork, but I feel more motivated than before to reach fluency and learn about/live in another Hispanic culture.
Review Photos
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was my first time out of the US and Salamanca was gorgeous and historical, but also a comfortable place to live abroad for the first time. I learned a lot about the local culture but had some trouble integrating into it. Many of my friends were fellow Americans, but we spoke Spanish together much of the time and had an incredible time traveling around Spain and a couple of other countries during my two months there. The classes are small and every professor I had was knowledgeable and passionate. Cursos Internacionales was inexpensive for seven weeks of classes, but provided a quality experience. |
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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 1-200$ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I found that direct enroll at USAL was significantly cheaper than going through a program, as many of my classmates did. |
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 |
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| 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 level literature |
| 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? | Absolutely talk to locals-- it took me a long time to feel comfortable doing this, but many are very friendly and willing to chat with you if you need to practice your Spanish more outside of the classroom. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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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? | I lived with a host family for the first month of the program and a dorm the second. I had made this decision in advance to see which I preferred, and I personally liked the dorm better as I had more privacy but also a lot of interaction with other international students in the same situation, as I did not go through a program and needed to make my own circle of friends when I got there. |
