The most underrated city in Europe!! Past Review
By Grace Richey (Scripps College) - abroad from 01/23/2018 to 05/19/2018 with
IES Abroad: Granada - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
I drastically improved my Spanish. The experience was definitely worthwhile given all the friendships and memories I made. It was the perfect combination of gaining new and exciting experiences while also learning a lot
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes offered through the IES center are straightforward. I caution directly enrolling in University of Granada classes because the Spanish university system is VERY different. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site staff is wonderful!! I can't say enough good things about them. They were very helpful and accommodating when I had medical issues. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My homestay was a great match. I adore my host mother and got along very well with my roommate. |
| * Food: |
As a vegetarian, Spanish cuisine is a little difficult to navigate. While there was a great variety of vegetarian restaurants in Granada, finding vegetarian tapas was frustrating at times. My host mother was also not accustom to cooking vegetarian |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
You will need to put in the effort, but there are plenty of opportunities to meet and socialize with local students |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had a bad experience in a Spanish hospital after doctor prescribed medication to treat food poisoning without asking my medical history. My privacy was not as respected as it typically is in the US and, as a person with a disability, Spanish infrastructure is not accessible. The IES did their best to help and accompanied me to all my hospital visits. |
| * Safety: |
I felt perfectly safe walking in my neighborhood at 2am. The staff did a good job preparing us and offering advice. Granada is a very safe city. |
| 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) |
GRANADA IS SO AFFORDABLE!! It is one of the only cities in Spain that still offers free tapas (although small and fairly simple, you get a free plate whenever you order a beer or wine). A simple meal costs 4-7 euro; a real sit down meal is 10-15 euro. Food from the grocery store is especially inexpensive. Taxi fare is also very low |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | While it is still affordable to eat out frequently, eating in saves even more. I would go to the store to buy instant rice, bread, veggies, cheese, yogurt, and hummus every other week. I don't think I ever spent more than 20 euro in a single trip |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPAN100 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Sometimes serves and shopkeepers will try to talk to you in English because they want to make it easier for you. Don't give in! Keep replying in Spanish! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Understand that the Spanish university system is very different from that in the US. The expectations are higher in some places, and more relaxed in others. I wish I was better prepared for what to expect from my class at the University of Granada |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
