San Sebastian, beautiful and captivating Past Review
By Adam H (park and recreational managment, Northern Arizona University) for
USAC Spain: San Sebastián - Spanish Language, Basque, Psychology, and European Studies
it was absolutely worthwhile. i am a new person with a more mature attitude towards life and i feel more comfortable in foreign countries. i learned a new language, made new friends, experienced a new culture, and had a blast. i wish it was possible to do it all over again.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
the work load, although overwhelming at first, becomes very easy and fun as i realized how much spanish i was learning. the teachers are amazing and are all attentive to ones needs as a person and a student. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
the administration helped with everything and kept it all organized to a letter. i was amazed at how helpful they were and how stress free this side of the program was. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
the host family was a great learning experience and allowed me to gather a large amount of local slang that i would not have learned in class. it was also a look into the life of a local family and all of the customs they practiced. the apartment allowed me more freedom but since i lived with mostly Americans i did not speak as much spanish as i did in the hos family house. if possible i recommend doing both. one semester of each. |
| * Food: |
lots of fried food, eggs for lunch, amazing flavor mixes and just an overall blast at experiencing the cultural food of the basques |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
the city is amazing, and the culture is so unique that it is hard not to become addicted to it. the usac program brings students on a number of amazing field trips around the area and explains their cultural significance. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
i fell off my bike and broke my wrist while there. the usac department had a staff member (Tito) bring me to a trauma doctor and had it looked at, bandaged up and continued to check in on me and take me to my future appointments. i felt very safe and comfortable throughout the entire process. |
| 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? |
every one in san sebastian, teachers and locals, loved to help me speak spanish and would correct me if i made mistakes. |
| 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? | speak spanish and only spanish, make friends, travel whenever possible. experience new things and dont regret anything |
