Caring program directors, wonderful professors, living like a Spaniard Past Review
By Chloe Lobosco (Arcadia University) - abroad from 01/21/2017 to 05/27/2017 with
Arcadia: Granada - Arcadia in Granada
I was able to experience another culture without the barrier of my own. I think that is an extremely worthwhile thing to experience, especially for those willing to actually listen to the opinions of the locals.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Good selection of courses, wonderful professors, Spanish skill placement levels for more specialized education. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very typical student housing apartments in Spain! |
| * Food: |
You must provide your own food in the apartment style option (which I prefer!) |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Plenty of opportunity for language exchanges! The school was mostly American students. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
HTH offers great coverage! |
| * Safety: |
|
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Granada was such a nice, old city and the program with Arcadia and the CLM gave me lots of opportunities to explore the local culture. |
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Less than $20 usually for food and around $10 for various expenses such as going out for tapas with friends |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you want to travel, even in country, make sure you save!! I got by on around $1000 for the semester including a trip to the UK. Tapas are cheap but grocery shopping is cheaper. Take advantage of cultural reimbursement. Fly in and out of Malaga airport and take ALSA into Granada! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Every class I took in Spain was in Spanish. Program directors encouraged us to speak Spanish with them whenever possible. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Every Spanish course available to non-majors in my home university |
| 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? | Get an language exchange partner, either through the Arcadia program or the CLM, talk to people around town when you can (for example, the owners at your favorite cafe), talk to your roommates in Spanish (they'll want to practice their English with you). |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had a clearer idea of how the CLM worked (placement, activities, etc) before I was a part of the program, but it was made very clear after I arrived. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
