The best experience of my life! Past Review
By Emily F (Computer Science and Psychology, Wesleyan University) - abroad from 05/21/2014 to 07/31/2014 with
USAC Spain: Alicante - Spanish Language, Linguistics, European, Mediterranean, and Gender Studies
My Spanish skills improved drastically, I experienced a lot of personal growth and met a lot of cool people. I could not be more grateful for this experience.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The USAC professors are amazing however I believe some of my courses could have been a little more rigorous. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Luis, Verónica and Sylvain are extremely nice and always in the office available to help with anything! |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mom was incredible- she treated me like her own child and was an amazing cook. I believe living in a host family is the only way to truly become immersed in the culture and the best way to learn the language and all of the USAC host families in Alicante are exceptional. |
| * Food: |
There are many great restaurants in Alicante however I ate the majority of my meals at home, which I loved because my host mom is a great cook (and even taught me some of her recipes)! |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I lived with a family and made local friends through my conversation partner so I feel I had a lot of experience with the culture and with the language. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any experience with healthcare. |
| * Safety: |
Alicante is an extremely safe city (even walking alone late at night). You do have to always watch your stuff as there is always a risk of being pick-pocketed however this won't happen if you're careful. |
| 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) |
I did spend a lot of money while I was abroad, mostly on souvenirs/shopping, going out at night, transportation and traveling. I did not need to spend much additional money on food because I had paid extra in advance to live with a family and my host mom provided me with every meal. It is not necessary, however, to spend a lot of money. Alicante is not that expensive of a place, it is up to the individual to choose what he/she wants to spend money on. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $200/$300 (including travel expenses) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Look into what your bank provides while traveling abroad, as using ATMs that do not have arrangements with your bank can result in expensive fees. |
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 |
|
| 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? | Intermediate |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Live with a host family and sign up for an intercambio (language partner) |
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? | More Spanish! |
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! |
