A place were I could live for the rest of my life Past Review
By Alexander H (Management , University of Massachusetts Amherst) for
USAC Spain: Bilbao/Getxo - International Business and Spanish Language Studies
Yeah, I stayed for the summer (but not for classes) because it was so awesome. I came to understand myself and my role in a globalizing world. Also the travel bug bit me and now that is all I want to do.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
All of the teachers in the program were amazing. They were all so kind, helpful, friendly, engaging, and cared about their subjects. The Spanish teachers were especially awesome. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The USAC Bilbao staff were mind blowingly awesome. They were always there if anyone needed help. They were great to talk to and share a laugh with. They were also very concerned about us and made sure that any problems that we may have had were taken care of. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a residential building, there were no other Americans in the building besides my apartment. One of my roommates was a native of Spanish so he was able to help but we mostly spoke English. |
| * Food: |
Pintxos are awesome |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We did some nice excursions to Burgos, Madrid, Mundaka, and some local trips around Bilbao |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
If there was ever an issue, the administrators were there to help. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
My Spanish was bad before I went. I had studied it for many years but had no idea how to speak it, I only new words. I learned so much while in Track 3. Now I can write in Spanish very well, I can read in very well, and I can speak in Spanish very well. I also have a very good understanding of the grammatical structure. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Understand that this area is not Spain. It is Pais Vasco, you will not see bull fights and Flamenco. What you will see is a people (the Basques) who have a rich heritage and a strong feeling of being Basque. |
