Alicante - The Best Semester of My Life! Past Review
By Alyse F (Spanish and Psychology, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Alicante, Spain
The best thing I did in college was study abroad. I loved everything about Spain and the people I met there. I fell in love with the language. I would do it again in a second
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
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 |
Our leaders were amazing - very supportive, very helpful and knowledgeable, very encouraging, and very fun! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My house mother and brother didn't speak any English so I learned a great amount about conversational Spanish from them. The apartment was very nice and in a safe area. It was close to downtown and shopping and the beach. It was well-equipped, as well. |
| * Food: |
My host mother gave me 3 meals a day which were fantastic! I could also eat whatever I wanted out of the fridge (although some other people in my group were not allowed to do this) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The group of Americans that went to Spain all got along together extremely well. We went to the beach together and ate together and partied together. There was a lot of time to travel, which was great, as well. There were also possibilities to meet native Spaniards and spend time with them as well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
No one in my group had health issues, but our leaders would have been very helpful if there had been. I felt safe walking by myself, even late at night. However, a few people in my group had their purses or phones stolen - this is quite common because it is a big city. ALWAYS keep a hand ON your purses or bags - don't think they're safe just because they're sitting next to you. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I could have been challenged a little more in class, but grading was very fair and teachers were very helpful. I did learn a lot grammatically. We also had the option of attending "intercambios" where we could speak Spanish with native Spanish-speakers |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Students who are looking to enjoy a beautiful, fun city while taking in Spanish culture will have a great time here. |
