A wonderful 4 months in a historic city. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Small classes and interesting forms of teaching. The priorities of academics are a lot different in terms of pressure, I felt a lot less pressure from teachers that ‘work is the most important thing’. There was an awareness that learning in the classroom was part of the process but also studying abroad means learning outside of the classroom as well. Usually (except for one of my classes), teachers don't give you busy work, with the expectation that you will learn and keep up understanding of the material. I learned in ways that I wasn't used to. The work load is easy at the beginning until they cram 5 finals in the last 2 weeks, which was wildly overwhelming. A similar thing happened with mid-terms.

On-site administration of your program

The staff is wonderful, they really care about the students well-being and are easily approachable and willing to make time for you. IES has amazing resources and opportunities to fill your time with meaningful things.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I absolutely loved my host family so the long commute and not the best location made it worth it. My host mom was an amazing cook and my family helped me feel more connected to the city.

Ugh! I miss Spanish food.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

My experience with my host family and few Spanish friends made me feel extremely integrated in my host culture. Building those connections really improved my overall experience and I feel comfortable reaching out to them if I want to come back to Spain. There can easily come Cliques at IES which is frustrating

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I wouldn't trade my experience for the world. Granada is breathtaking, there’s truly nothing like it – small enough to make a community, but big enough to have all of the essentials and keep you entertained. I am so glad I did abroad and so lucky to do it with IES, they help structure the semester so you make the most out of it.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Tapas for dinner cost around 5 euros and breakfast and dinners were at the home stays

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

In classes, we were asked to speak in spanish but among friends it was up to your willingness and persistence to keep up the language.

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Apartment

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Americans

• The Staff!
• My homestay and ability to connect with locals
• The resources for students with extra activities and trips like Morocco.

• Starting early for Fall students
• Placement tests