An Eye-Opening Experience! Past Review
By A student (Psychology/Spanish, Fairfield University) - abroad from 01/02/2012 to 04/18/2012 with
API (Academic Programs International): Barcelona - Universitat Pompeu Fabra
My language skills defintiely improved, I learned numerous things from my host family, and I became a lot more confident with the idea of traveling around Europe.
Review Photos
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had to switch host families within a week of starting because the first one wasn't the right fit for me. However, things worked out great with my new host family! |
| * Food: |
It was a bit hard to get used to eating dinner late (which my host family provided), but the actual food was great! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living with a host family definitely helped me feel integrated with the local culture, but making Spanish friends at my host university was difficult. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I know many people who got pick pocketed, but luckily that never happened to me. Students just need to keep an eye on their belongings at all times and be discreet when using an expensive-looking cell phone. |
| 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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't overdo it with buying souvenirs, book your trips early especially if you are planning on traveling during the holidays and live with a host family (it comes out cheaper than cooking for yourself constantly). |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | 200 level |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Pick more classes in Spanish, live with a host family in order to use it a lot and use it out in the city instead of using English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | If I had chosen the integrated studies track at my university, I would have been in the same class as local students, whereas my track included mostly American students. |
