Spain: My new home Past Review
By Jacob K (Spanish Language and Literature., University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Granada, Spain
Absolutely. It was worth every cent.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload wasn't too difficult, but the grading scale was quite different from here in the U.S. Grades are out of 10 instead of a 100. There were, however, too many Americans in my classes. I wish I would have taken more classes with native students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Many other programs set up students with a language partner. You could practice your Spanish and they could practice there English. Our program didn't do this, unfortunately. I had to go to the doctor a few times, and the program directors were very helpful every step of the way. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I recommend that everyone has does a homestay with someone who speaks Spanish as their native language. |
| * Food: |
I love Spanish food. Try everything, no matter what it may look like. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We took some fun day trips, and we went to Morocco for a weekend. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
My city was pretty safe; you just have to use commonsense. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | Not much at all. I didn't have to buy food. I maybe speny $200 a month. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buying all new clothes and toiletries when my luggage was lost. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I had taken 8 semesters of Spanish. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I used the language with my host mom the most. My classmates spoke English outside of class, but I tried to speak Spanish as much as possible. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Don't let the cost of something make you miss out on an experience of a lifetime. |
