Great Experience with IES Granada (Fall 2014) Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The program staff were warm, extremely helpful, and very available for all questions, concerns, and suggestions. There is a wide variety of classes (but only in the humanities), and you can choose to take classes in English or in Spanish (although each student is required to take a Spanish class, the level of which is determined toward the beginning of the program with an oral evaluation and a written evaluation. I took classes only in Spanish and the content, teaching style, and the professors themselves were all amazing--my academic experience was awesome. I took Islamic Civilization with Indalecio Lozano, The Poetry of Federico García Lorca with Conch Badía, Memory and Identity of Sephardic Jews with Alicia Ramos, Islamic Art and Architecture with Yolanda Guasch, and Spanish 352 with Rosana Piñero. I loved all of my classes and all of my professors, but if I had to pick a favorite it would probably be Islamic Civilization. The material was fascinating, and Indalecio is a wonderful and passionate teacher.

On-site administration of your program

The program organizes lots of fun events and trips for the students, several of which are free of extra charge, excluding the 5-day trip to Morocco which costs extra but was totally worth it and totally amazing. The program hires college-age "orientadores" who also organize fun hang-out events where you can meet lots of young Spanish people and practice your Spanish. IES Granada also mathces each IES student (who wants to participate) with an "intercambio" from the University of Granada so that each pair can practice speaking in English and Spanish, and so that the IES student is facilitated in making young Spanish friends. I asked Patricia Molina, one of the IES Abroad activities directors, to help me find a band or Wind Ensemble I could join. She found one in a little pueblo called Armilla, just a short bus ride out of Granada. Playing in the band was super fun--I met a lot of cool Spanish people, got to practice Spanish, and got to play in several different parades and concerts. The IES Granada program director, Javier Martínez de Velasco, does a great job, along with Natalia García Caballos and Patricia Molina.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Through IES Granada, you can choose to live with a host family, in the "Residencia de estudiantes," or you can find your own housing (which I wouldn't recommend if you aren't confident in your Spanish). Personally, I decided to live with a host family. I had a big host family, which was great. I had a mom and a dad, a thirty-year-old brother who lived at home (which is common in Spain because of the ongoing economic crisis and unemployment), and one of my other host brothers who was in his forties had a wife, a two-year-old and a five-year-old. His family came over a lot, so it was all very lively in the house. I also had an IES Granada roommate. Some students had American roommates and others didn't. From the host family, we received breakfast and lunch, but were on our own for dinner. It was fun to have to figure out our own dinner because we figured out which places had the best but cheapest food, so we really got to know Granada very well. I had a wonderful experience with my host family--they were warm, welcoming, and interested in our lives and how we were doing. Another plus is that our host mom did our laundry once a week, which was really nice. Our house was about a 20-minute walk from the IES center. Granada is a walking city--you will rarely need to take a bus or taxi anywhere (unless it's late at night and you have to walk home alone, then it might be a good idea to get a taxi, although Granada is a pretty safe city). Our house had wifi which was great. I would definitely recommend bringing a laptop to Granada because the IES facility has limited hours, which means limited access to its computers and library. (The library is open Monday through Friday from like 8am to probably 9pm, except on Friday when it closes at 3pm.)

I loved the food. My host mom is a great cook, and my friends and I found some really awesome Spanish and Moroccan restaurants throughout the city.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I got into the rhythm of the city. I made a few Spanish friends though the band I played in and through the "orientadores" that IES Granada hires, but I wish I could have made a few more young Spanish friends.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Personally, I never had to go to a clinic or a hospital. I got pretty sick a couple times, and I went to the pharmacy (of which there are many in Granada) and got the help and medications I needed. Also, the program staff were really understanding and wanted me to rest and get well before I tried going back to classes.

Granada is pretty safe, especially given how big it is. Women will get cat-called often, especially at night. I hate to say this, but if you are a woman and you have been out drinking and it's pretty late, I would say it's a good idea to call a taxi instead of walking home alone. Other than that, the safety was not an issue for me.

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

Spain, unfortunately, is still in an economic crisis, so prices for food and other things are pretty low, which is good for the foreigners.

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

They set up "intercambios" so we could practice Spanish, and all the Spanish-language professors encouraged us everyday to use Spanish as much as possible and in as many different settings as possible.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans
• Host Family

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• Americans
• International Students

• IES Granada Activities
• Wind Ensemble
• Learning about Spanish history

• Facility caretaker could be more polite
• Facility itself could be open more often
• Level of Spanish class evaluation could be improved

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer