Summer in Avila was an amazing experience Past Review
By Anna L (Civil Engineering., University of North Dakota) for
Eastern Michigan University: Avila - Eastern Michigan University in Spain
It was an amazing experience, I recommend anyone considering it to go for it!
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. |
I found the grading system to be somewhat inconsistent without a set grading rubric, however I learned way more than I ever could have taking a class in the United States. I feel as if I learned far more while out and about in Spain than I did in the classroom. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Once again I had a problem with the grading system and felt the administrators didn't understand my concerns. But I thought the program was the right size for me (about 20students) so we, the students, were able to get to know each other and meet new people. The city we stayed in was also great, not only was it absolutely beautiful with so much history, there was a lot of culture in the relatively small town of Avila and very few people spoke English which really helped me advance in my fluency of the Spanish language which was my ultimate goal of studying abroad. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our host mother and her friend were very nice and only spoke Spanish, I had I roommate who was also in my program which I found to be quite helpful since neither of us are fluent in Spanish. Our neighborhood was very safe and I was able to go on a run (3-8 miles)everyday there without a problem. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The town we stayed in was one of my favorites in Spain. See above for more. |
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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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
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| 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? | Someone who would like to improve Spanish speaking skills. |
