I loved my experience in Alicante. It is a summer that I will never forget! Past Review

By Johanna D (Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services., University of Nevada - Reno) - abroad from 07/01/2012 to 07/28/2012 with

USAC Spain: Alicante - Spanish Language, Linguistics, European, Mediterranean, and Gender Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I improved my Spanish conversational skills, and I found that if you are always yourself you will be pleasantly surprised how many people are just as weird/quirky as you are. Being yourself makes others comfortable to do the same! Definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here:	I took courses at the University of Alicante
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I really enjoyed the courses i took and i thought the instructors were excellent. They did a good job of keeping class interesting and challenging!
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The USAC staff in Alicante is very helpful! They are always there if you have questions and they organize a lot of great trips! They even give you handouts each week of activites you can do around town.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I lived in a shared apartment with 4 other girls and we got along very well! It was a great match! I will always keep in touch with these girls, and I have so many great memories with them!
* Food:	Alicante is a GREAT city, but it is not know for its culinary expertise!The food was good but not the best! Keep in mind I am a very judgemental person when it comes to food (Nutrition Major=Foodie)
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I would shop by myself in the Mercado Central and practice my spanish and the sailing class I took was a great way to practice spanish too! I also made a few spanish friends around town.I didn't have the experience of having a host family! Otherwise i felt very culturally enriched! I really enjoyed all of the cultural exposure i received. It was also nice to live with people who spoke english so you could occasionally take a break and not be overwhelmed!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I had an instance where i got pretty sick and the USAC staff was very helpful! They took me to the clinic on site at the university and helped me with translating so i received the correct care! I really appreciated all the assistance i got from them!
* Safety:	I never felt un safe while I was there.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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)	Alicante is not a very expensive city! I always had very fresh and reasonablly priced produce, and everything is within walking distance so I didn't need to spend much money on transportation! The times I spent a lot of money were in other cities when I was traveling!
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	around $ 60-70 at the most!
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Cook your own food! I already had this habit so I didn't spend a lot of money on eating out.

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	We always spoke Spanish in school and around the town, but at home we spoke english. I think it is too tiring to always speak in a 2nd language so I didn't have a problem with this!
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?	Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	Intermediate
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?	Don't be afraid to make mistakes, and surround yourself with people that want to practice too, or people who are native speakers.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students
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?	The staff the other students the housing
* What could be improved?	nothing!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I don't have any regrets from my program! I had already been on a foreign exchange in high school, and I knew what I wanted to get out of this program! Going into the program I knew that I wasn't going to be afraid to make mistakes in the language and to never say no to an opportunity and to sometimes, just invite yourself! These were things I regreted not doing on my high school foreign exchange, but I did them while in Alicante.

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 Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

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