True immersion into Granada life Past Review
By Ashley Bass (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/22/2019 to 05/18/2019 with
IES Abroad: Granada - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
I learned a lot about the importance of culture and family while abroad. The spaniards do a really nice job with making sure they are always there for each other and always make time to sit and chat with people. I think Americans, especially people from the northeastern part, are so focused on getting through their day and completing tasks uninterrupted that we forget there is a whole world of people. I think i learned how to stop and sit and really enjoy taking to people for hours without a rush and to explore the places around me.
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. |
not too rigorous but challenging enough without it being overwhelming due to all classes being taught in spanish |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Tapas are great! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
very integrated due to the fact that Spain is an extremely social country and no matter where you go or what you do, you interact with spaniards. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
super safe! never once felt like I was in danger. the streets were always well lit and there were always people out and about throughout the day and the night |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved Granada. The people were amazing, it was super easy to immerse myself into the culture and the smaller size of the city really made me feel as though I was apart of the city. I never got tired of the rich history, the beautiful mountains, the sunny weather, and the delicious and cheap food |
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) |
very very easy! Granada is a very affordable city. You can walk everywhere and spend as much or as little as you please on meals. Menu of the day was around 12 dollars for a 2 course meal + drink +dessert. Tapas for dinner are also quite inexpensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 70 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I created a loose budget for myself that I wanted to stay around but was okay with going over (to a certain degree). There is a great app called Tripcoin that you can track your expenses, plan an over all budget and a budget per day or week, and has different categories so you can plan for each trip you will go on. In addition the app will convert the currency from whatever country you are in to euros or dollars, ect. |
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? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 104 (4th year spanish) |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | just keep trying and don't give up! its hard at first but the more effort you put into it, the more you get out! |
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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| 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? | I wish I had known that it would be cold at the beginning but you could easily still burn due to the high UV levels. I also wish I had known to bring more intermediate weather clothing due to the fact that it is cold in the morning and at night but is extremely hot during the day. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
