Granada's too small for us Texans Past Review
By Melissa B (Tourism and Travel Services Management., The University of Texas at Austin) for
AIFS: Granada - University of Granada and Internship Program
I ENJOYED BEING ABROAD AND TRAVELING. I REALLY ENJOYED ISLAMIC CULTURE IN SPAIN- IT WAS THE BEST CLASS I COULD HAVE TAKEN. I WISH THAT I HAD BEEN IN A BIGGER CITY WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER TO TRAVEL TO OTHER CITIES. IF I WAS DOING IT ALL OVER I WOULD PROBABLY GO WITH A DIFFERENT PROGRAM- ONE THAT OFFERS AN APARTMENT WITH OTHER PEOPLE FROM AMERICA IN A BIGGER CITY (LIKE BARCELONA). BEING ABLE TO COOK MY OWN FOOD WOULD HAVE BEEN A NICE CHANGE AS WELL. I FEEL LIKE WITH THE PROGRAM I WENT WITH I DIDN'T GET AS MUCH AS SOME OTHER STUDENTS THAT I MET.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | N/A |
| 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. |
the workload was good, the grading system is very different (a scale of 1-10), there were a few projects in a couple of my classes but basically there was only a midterm and a final |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
THEY WERE QUITE ACCESSIBLE BUT I DIDN'T LIKE A LOT OF THE THINGS THEY ORGANIZED. THEY CHOSE TO PLAN VISITS AROUND TOWN ON A SATURDAY MORNING (WAY TO EARLY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS). THEY DID NOT KEEP CONTROL OVER SOME OF THE STUDENTS. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE CALIBER OF A LOT OF THE STUDENTS- THE WERE RUDE AND OBNOXIOUS. MY EXPECTATIONS WERE NOT MET- I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PROGRAM. I MADE MY OWN FRIENDS WHILE THERE IN A DIFFERENT PROGRAM (IES). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
IT WAS A BLOCK FROM THE MAIN STREET (RECOGIDAS) AND ALL THE BEST SHOPPING, SOME TAPAS BARS AND CLUBS. <br /><br /> IT WAS OKAY. I DID NOT LIKE MY ROOMMATE AT ALL. MY HOST MOM WAS AWESOME- SHE PREPARED EVERY MEAL, CLEANED MY ROOM AND MY CLOTHES. SHE TRIED TO TALK TO ME BUT IT WAS A BIT DIFFICULT AT TIMES BECAUSE HER ACCENT WAS VERY STRONG. THE ODD PART WAS THAT I WASN'T REALLY ALLOWED TO HAVE FRIENDS OVER SO IT FELT LIKE I WAS A GUEST IN MY OWN HOUSE. IN THAT SENSE, IF I COULD HAVE LIVED IN AN APARTMENT I WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPIER- BUT MY PROGRAM DIDN'T GIVE ME THIS OPTION. IT WAS A SAFE AREA AND WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE TO NIGHT LIFE, BUT IT WAS KIND OF A WALK TO GET TO THE UNIVERSITY. |
| * Food: |
MY SENORA GAVE ME SOOOO MUCH FOOD. LUNCH IS THE BIG MEAL, DINNER IS THE SMALLER MEAL. EXPECT TO EAT A LOT OF SEAFOOD AND HAM! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
THERE WERE SOME GOOD TRIPS AND I ENJOYED ALL OF THE OLD ARCHITECTURE. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
IT SEEMED REALLY SAFE BUT I WOULD STILL RECOMMEND WALKING HOME WITH A BUDDY AT NIGHT. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | THE COST OF THE PROGRAM AND THE HOST FAMILY. I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE LIVED IN AN APARTMENT, SAVED THAT MONEY AND TRAVEL MORE. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPANISH 3 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND INTERCAMBIOS (SET UP 'HAPPY HOURS') TO MEET SOME OF THE LOCALS- THEY KNOW ALL THE BEST PLACES TO GO AND HANG OUT. |
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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* Who did you take classes 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? | DON'T GO WITH AIFS. GRANDA WOULD BE A NICE PLACE TO TRAVEL TO BUT I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND LIVING THERE. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
INTENSIVE SPANISH LANGUAGE- INTERMEDIATE B1.1 (GR. 0401) |
| Course Department: | SPANISH 201 |
| Instructor: | LOLA FUENTES |
| Instruction Language: | SPANISH |
| Comments: | THE ENTIRE CLASS WAS IN SPANISH WHICH WAS A BIT DIFFICULT AT FRIST BUT BY THE END I WAS ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION IN SPANISH. WE LEARNED A LOT OF EVERYDAY PHRASES AND CULTURAL ASPECTS ABOUT GRANADA. IT WAS A VERY SMALL CLASS SO I WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE MORE THAN I COULD AT MY BIG UNIVERSITY. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | EXPECT THAT SHORT INTENSIVE CLASSES WILL NOT TRANSFER AS A FULL COURSE. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
ISLAMIC CULTURE IN SPAIN |
| Course Department: | ANT 3295, SPN 350 |
| Instructor: | JUAN ANTONIO MACIAS AMORETTI |
| Instruction Language: | ENGLISH |
| Comments: | A BIT CHALLENGING BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY A MIDTERM AND FINAL AND A LOT OF INFORMATION. BUT IT WAS MY FAVORITE CLASS- IT MADE MY STAY IN GRANADA WORTH IT. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | NO |
| Course Name/Rating: |
SPANISH CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE |
| Course Department: | ARH 376, SPN 350 |
| Instructor: | ANGELES MARTINEZ GONZALEZ |
| Instruction Language: | ENGLISH |
| Comments: | SPANISH TRADITIONS |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | NO |
| Course Name/Rating: |
HISTORY OF ART IN SPAIN (GR. 0A01) |
| Course Department: | ART 305 |
| Instructor: | SALVADOR GALLEGO |
| Instruction Language: | SPANISH |
| Comments: | A GREAT PROFESSOR! A LOT OF NEW INFORMATION ABOUT ART. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | TRANSFERED AS AN ART CLASS |
| Course Name/Rating: |
SPANISH GRAMMAR- UPPER INTERMEDIATE B1.2 (0503) |
| Course Department: | SPANISH 205 |
| Instructor: | LOLA FUENTES |
| Instruction Language: | SPANISH |
| Comments: | GRAMMAR IS NEVER FUN, BUT I FELT LIKE I LEARNED A LOT (MORE ABOUT SPAIN GRAMMAR RATHER THAN SOUTH AMERICAN-WHICH IS WHAT I LEARNED IN THE STATES) |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | THE LEVELS VARY HOWEVER THERE IS A REALLY GOOD PLACEMENT TEST. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
SPEAKING AND WRITING SKILLS- UPPER INTERMEDIATE B1.2 (GR. 0503) |
| Course Department: | SPANISH 207 |
| Instructor: | MONTSERRAT OLEA |
| Instruction Language: | SPANISH |
| Comments: | A CONVERSATIONAL CLASS THAT TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT THE CULTURE OF GRANADA |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | IT MUST BE EVALUATED. |
