An Experience in Spain I Will Never Forget. Past Review
By David Bryan P (Computer Sciences / Spanish, The University of Texas at Austin) for
University of Texas at Austin: Santander, Spain: Language and Culture
I learned that America really isn't the center of the world. Although our popular culture has a strong impact on everyone.... Other countries manage to hold their own identities very well. My classes really helped me understand the culture, art, customs, linguistics, and business aspects of the country. By having a host family that literally told me that I'm an adult and can come and go as I please I was able to grow as a person and become more independent. I spent a lot of time doing things on my own but I rather enjoyed it for I was able to make my own perspective of my experience that greatly differed from the other students who chose to stick to one another and speak English. I was able to find friends and hang out with them. I made lifelong friends who to this day want me to visit them whether they be from Spain or not. I find that this program was so beneficial to me that I dream about my experiences and wish I was still there in one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
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? |
Housing was taken care of by my program and it was a very interesting experience. Class was about 25 min. away walking and nightlife was literally outside my door. My host mother provided me with food, cleaned and ironed my clothes. The only reason why I would give such a low rating is due to personal problems with my host mother. Other than that, anyone should have a great experience. |
| * Food: |
It is difficult for vegetarians to eat in this city since it is heavily based on fish. Many Spaniards do not understand this concept and may be confused with you at first. I find that near plazas you should find some good places to eat. Just ask your host family. They usually provide the best opinions. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
La semana grande is a festival that goes on for one week and features some of the best "finger foods" from restaurants all over the city presented in wooden huts all over the streets. Some of the best food I had while I was in Spain. The program gives an excursion to a few cities in Spain and provides an educational experience of the city to help you understand the country better and their culture. Very enjoyable experience. The world cup was amazing by the way, although I don't know if that will happen again for a while. As mentioned earlier, my business Spanish class provided a few field trips to various businesses around the city. There is so much to do in such a small town, the beaches are amazing. |
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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
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | When coming back to the states, I was charged 60 euros for an overweight bag... and they lost it too. Pack light. Buy clothes in spain... it's not too expensive for nice stuff. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 4th semester Spanish |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I used the locals, family, and professors as my main sources of practice. In my city, not many people knew English so I would say that is necessary to know Spanish in but you can still get around with English, although it will be difficult. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | A student with an open mind and a willingness to speak the language with locals will benefit the most from this program. By practicing the language you will make lifelong friends who will help you with anything you need. I was treated very well by locals for speaking the language. If you are interested in traveling to other countries during the weekend.... this program is for you. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Adv Grammar & Compositn I-Spn |
| Course Department: | SPN F327G |
| Instructor: | Maximo Rafael Salaberry |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The course was a good learning experience. It was challenging and taught me to think more about the language rather than just going through exercises. It was very hands on and made me go and talk to locals in order to get assignments done. Although, the work was a bit heavy and I didn't go out much while taking this course. |
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| Course Name/Rating: |
Business Spanish-Spn |
| Course Department: | SPN S367K |
| Instructor: | Ana Hermoso |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This course was all about understanding the economy of Spain, different programs offered by the government, ways to create a business in Spain, how to make a European resume in order to get a job, and other small grammatical lessons. This was not a course to learn Spanish. Overall, I enjoyed the course, the professor gave us the option to study things that were useful or interesting to us, and we went to various field trips in the city in order to get a better appreciation for how businesses work. |
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| Course Name/Rating: |
Spanish Civilization-Spn |
| Course Department: | SPN F328 |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | It was a very enlightening course learning about the most important events that took place in the history of the Iberian peninsula and later present day Spain. |
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History Of Spanish Art-Spn |
| Course Department: | SPN S350 |
| Instructor: | Ana Belén Lasheras Peña |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | It was probably my favorite course in Spain. Going in chronological order of all the significant movements of art in Spain taught me much about the history of the country and how it has become what it is today. I feel that I can share much knowledge with my friends and family about Spanish art after taking this course. |
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