Most rewarding experience that enhanced my Spanish speaking skills and cultural awareness! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload for my class was easily handled because it was the only class I was taking so I was able to focus solely on learning the Spanish language in and outside of class. I was left with plenty of free time after my studies to do whatever I pleased. The class was challenging but not overwhelming.

On-site administration of your program

The program I was involved with had about 50 students, I believe and classes ranged from 5-10 students. We had our own office that we could always access if there was any question academically or about anything else.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The location of where I stayed was right by the smaller downtown area as well as right next to the metro that I could take to any other area I wanted to go to. Everything I needed was taken care of for my room, I even had a desk and plenty of closet space. The family was awesome, they didn't have children but a niece and nephew that frequently visited which reminded me of home. I did have to share a bathroom with the other student that was there which was never a real problem except she took the longest showers, ha! They gave us keys to the apartment and if I ever wasn't going to make it home for the night they just asked that I would call or leave a note letting them know which was perfectly fine for me. My family had 3-4 meals or snacks prepared every day and they were the nicest people.

I eat practically anything so I fit right in. There was a lot of seafood around town but we hit up a few American places (McDonald's, Pizza Hut) just to get a fix a few times.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The nightlife was a great way to meet people younger in age but that was also possible on campus. It was awesome visiting the art museums and the Guggenheim.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There was never an instance where I felt unsafe. One friend of mine caught a cold and her host mom took her to the doctor and she received antibiotics without any problems.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I lived with a host family who spoke only Spanish. The host dad could pronounce English words if he looked them up if there was a miscommunication. Most of my classmates would speak English outside of the classroom however there were plenty of interactions with locals to keep up on the learning. Just hearing it on a regular basis in the home and having host parents who were accustomed to having students of varying levels of Spanish was so important. That was the main influence on my progression. I also had an 'intercambio' whom was a student from Spain who would meet with me and work on her English while I worked on my Spanish.

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Apartment

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• Host Family