Donostia-San Sebastian Past Review
By Carolann C (University of Nevada - Reno) - abroad from 08/28/2012 to 12/15/2012 with
USAC Spain: San Sebastián - Spanish Language, Basque, Psychology, and European Studies
A new language, new friends, and a new culture that I fell in love with. I cannot wait to get back after I graduate!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Not just schooling; I gained the background knowledge necessary for living in Spain and learned an incredible amount. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was constantly checking in on everyone to make sure that we were having the best time we possibly could. They were so supportive and were willing to talk to you about anything. They constantly made sure everyone was safe and happy. They made the entire program feel like a big family. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a gorgeous little apartment right on the beach with excellent roommates. My landlord was fun to talk to and forced me to speak more Spanish in a real-life setting. I absolutely loved my apartment and it was my favorite living situation I had ever had. |
| * Food: |
The Basque Country is known for their delicious food. I even got to participate in a cheese and wine tasting competition between Spain and France while I was in San Sebastian! Try as much as you can while you're there! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The people were so friendly and easy to talk to! I had conversation partners that took me out to the best restaurants and plenty of friends that took us out to the clubs. The social life was definitely one of the greatest parts of the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I am highly allergic to shrimp, and when I accidently ate a bowl of shrimp pasta, the USAC office was extremely helpful and came with me in a cab to the hospital while I got an IV. I got immediate attention and felt completely back to normal in no time. So many people were there to help me regardless of my own mistake to check what I was eating. |
| * Safety: |
While San Sebastian was a really safe city, you can never trust everybody. Make sure that you take precautions when you are out late at night and make sure that you keep yourself in the right mindset to watch your surroundings and stay safe. This applies for any city, whether it be in a country abroad or the United States. |
| 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) |
When going abroad, expect to spoil yourself! Save up money before you study abroad so you can make the most of your experience. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Roughly $100 a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you are tight on cash, try to go to local markets and buy food to cook at home and maybe only go out to eat about once a week. Remember energy-saving tips in your apartment to keep the bills down and only carry a certain amount of cash with you when you go out to limit your spending. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I was constantly speaking Spanish, in the classroom and outside. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | SPAN 212: Elementary Spanish II |
| 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? | Go outside your program and meet people. Luckily, many people in San Sebastian would only speak to me in Spanish, which forced me to speak the language rather than resort to English constantly. |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I should have taken less classes so I could travel more! Take 12-15 credits! |
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! |
