Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure Past Review
By A student (Spanish and German Education, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 01/21/2014 to 05/23/2014 with
API (Academic Programs International): Granada - Universidad de Granada
My Spanish speaking skills improved so much from spending time chatting with my host mom. Having such a wonderful person to live with made my semester amazing.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes are a lot different than in the US. I only had about 15 minutes of homework each night. We had a placement test at the beginning that determined our level of Spanish, and placed us in appropriate classes. I learned so much in my classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our on-site program directors were amazing! They were always available for any questions or concerns we had, and made our stay in Granada run smoothly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I absolutely loved my host mom, her apartment, and its location. I was matched perfectly with her. The only disappoint was that my roommate and I didn't have anything in common and didn't spend any time together. It seemed like this was unusual, and almost everyone else in our program got along really well with their roommates. |
| * Food: |
I loved Spanish food! My host mom was a great cook and made lots of traditional dishes for us. I'm kind of a picky eater, and she was super accommodating and figured out what I liked and didn't like right away. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living with a host mom really helped me experience Spanish culture firsthand. I spent a lot of time with her watching TV, cooking, etc. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had a health problem, but I know others on my program had to go to the doctor and one of our program directors always went with them. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe around my city. Just like any city, use common sense to stay safe. |
| 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) |
Everything is included in the program cost, the only extra expenses for me were souvenirs, personal traveling expenses on the weekends, and snacks. |
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 |
My host mom only spoke Spanish, and my classes were also conducted only in Spanish because I am at a more advanced level. I improved so much on my conversation skills during the semester. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | Spanish 304 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | 0 |
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? | Going for a semester means encountering both winter and summer temperatures. I wish I would've taken my favorite sweatshirt from home for wearing around in the evenings. |
