It was the most enlightening semester in my academic career. Past Review
By A student (Romance Languages, Literature, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville) - abroad from 08/27/2015 to 12/18/2015 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Granada, Spain
I gained a true understanding of the culture and language that will be invaluable for my future career.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes within the Universidad de Granada are great, but I was highly disappointed with the classes in the Centro de Lenguas Modernas. They are almost a vacation and not actual academic courses. I learned a lot, but it felt odd. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CEA's staff are out of this world. They are entirely here for the students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Never live in Nuestra Señora de la Gracia in Granada. It is awful. |
| * Food: |
The food in the city itself is fantastic, but once again, the food within Nuestra Señora de la Gracia is awful. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $15 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't feel like you have to be a typical american and travel every weekend. Half of the americans never see the full city because they treat the semester as only a vacation. |
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? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 400 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? | Don't talk to the other Americans in English. Force them to use Spanish with you. They may not like it, but it will work out in your favor. |
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? |
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? | Focus on branching into the community . Also, do homestay. |
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! |
