My 2nd home in Bilbao Past Review
By Michelle C (International Business and Spanish, University of Houston) for
USAC Spain: Bilbao/Getxo - International Business and Spanish Language Studies
5 stars times 5 thousand more! Was it worthwhile?!? Beyond measure, I would go back to Bilbao in a heartbeat. I would consider living there, and am fact am considering going back to Spain for graduate school!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I loved the campus in Bilbao, if you took Business courses in addition to your language course you attended two campuses, which allowed further exposure to the city and surrounding community. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I have told everyone I know to study abroad with USAC. Naturally I am partial to the staff in Bilbao, I will be forever grateful to the love and support they showed during our time abroad. Many times students are anxious about being abroad - the staff in Bilbao did everything in their power to ensure our stay in Spain was nothing short of amazing. |
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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: |
I was in Bilbao during the end of winter and got bronchitis and needed antibiotics, the staff at USAC set me up with a doctors appointment right away. I found the healthcare system to be extremely efficient. Safety was never a concern for me in Bilbao, the town is very family oriented and a wonderful community to live in. |
| 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
| 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?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I consider Bilbao to be my 2nd home. I am confident many students feel the same way, from day one Bilbao became a city where we lived, learned, and invested in our future. In my opinion, I think the students that choose to study abroad in Bilbao have an advantage, because in addition to being exposed to the Spanish culture we were also able to learn about the Basque traditions in Northern Spain. Bilbao is ideal because it has an international airport and provides quick access to the surrounding countries, the beach and coastline is amazing. The city is extremely well laid out with the metro always just around the corner to connect you to the other side of the city or the other side of the river. Bilbao has been aggressively updating its image in terms of being a tourist location which provides a lot of activities for the foreigners. |
