Granada, Spain Past Review
By M G (Spanish Language and Literature., Illinois State University) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Granada, Spain
I learned so much Spanish while I was in Granada. There are so many things to learn just from being around natives; you learn a lot in classes and at school, but you learn so much more just sitting around talking to native Spaniards. I loved Spanish before I studied abroad, and I still love it now. Luckily I never got sick of the language. If I had been placed in the dorm in January rather than March, I would give this 5 stars.
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. |
At the CLM in Granada, the workload is not very big. I took five classes and I only really had big homework assignments 2 or 3 times over the course of the semester. The grading system is based on 10, and grades translate differently. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program clearly played favorites. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
In the dorm, I was treated like the other Spanish girls; the people were incredibly nice, I was able to speak Spanish, and I felt like people actually wanted me there, rather than I was just being used for income. |
| * Food: |
My dietary restrictions were not a problem. POE has really nice tapas, as well as a little place close to Calle Socrates hidden down a sort of alley across from the Chupitería. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Portugal was really fun!!! |
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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? | I spent varying amounts from week to week, because I didn't have to buy much food. In the beginning, I spent more because I had to buy toiletries and such, but apart from that it was just buying souvenirs and food I wanted. Also, tapas are relatively cheap, but discotecas can get rather pricey. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Flights are occasionally reasonably priced, but trains are expensive. Buses are a good way to get around the country (www.alsa.es). The ride from Granada to Madrid is about 5 hours, there is one stop, and it costs around 16-20 euros each way. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Introduction to Hispanic Literature, LAN 233.15 at ISU |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I moved to a university dorm with other Spanish girls from the university. Most other Americans stuck together and only spoke English, so they did not understand much when natives spoke to them, or when they had to interact within the dorm. |
| 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?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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