A glimpse of Heaven! July 17, 2026
By Ayva W (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill) - abroad from 01/26/2026 to 05/22/2026 with
API (Academic Programs International): Granada - Universidad de Granada
I truly believe studying abroad has completely changed the way I look at life, people, and new cultures. My experience abroad taught me a new level of self-confidence and assurance through solo traveling, learning a new language, navigating a new city, and countless trial-and-error moments. I believe the new qualities I learned are worthwhile and will continue to shape the person I become.
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. |
Living in Granada and taking classes through API's program was hands down the best six months of my life. You attend school with all the other study abroad students from across the world; courses range on the rigorous scale. During my time there, my classes all ranged differently on the scale, which allowed me to experience all types of Spanish education. API sent me to Granada with what felt like an unlimited amount of resources pertaining to health, travel, classes, recommendations around the city, local news, and festivals. I never once felt lost or confused, even in a completely new environment. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The host directors in Granada with us were able to be contacted within five minutes; there was never any trouble receiving any help and support. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with a host family helped immerse me on a whole new level. My Spanish speaking and understanding skills improved immensely within the first two weeks. I was served homemade, purely Spanish recipes, and received local help from a trusted source. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living outside of a university residence and being new to the city made it harder to make friends with locals, people my age, and learn about activities around the city. Living with a host family did help keep me in touch with local news and festivities, and introduced me to their own friends in Granada. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never had any issue with feeling unsafe outside during any time of day. Walking home at night never felt like an issue. There are lots of street lights in Granada, and everyone is nice. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
API treated my time abroad wonderfully; it is clear they have a specific system for everything and knew how to handle any situation with ease. |
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) |
Due to living in a host family, housing and meal cost were paid prior to the beginning of the program. Because of this, there were no weekly costs for meals or food, unless just snacks, rent and bills were not something that was paid throughout. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $35 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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? | There is no reason not to trust the API with coordinating housing, classes, flights, and meeting times. This is not their first time sending someone abroad, and they have a whole system set in place for smooth transitions and times abroad. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
