Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Granada, Spain: Amazing, Memorable, Indispensible Past Review

By (International/Comparative Politics, Trinity University) for

IES Abroad: Granada - Study Abroad with IES Abroad

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Put simply, I changed my major and changed my career plan. I hope to return to Spain next year as a cultural ambassador.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload varied. Some classes were more rigorous in the coursework and some were less rigorous. This pretty much corresponds to my experience here in the US. The grading system threw me off (1-10 scale) but it wasn't hard to adapt.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Very knowledgeable about American education with several people on staff who studied in the US. Very knowledgeable about Granada and Spain in general. I did not feel as connected with the administration as I thought I would but I am sure partial blame rests with me since my time was spent with my peers in the city.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

IES gave us many housing options but the majority of people chose a homestay. I think my homestay aided my language acquisition but mostly during lunchtime which was a point in the day where I was occasionally too tired to carry a conversation. My host mother was excellent but a little overbearing at times. Honestly, that's just part of the cultural experience.

* Food:

Check out all the tapas places near Plaza de Toros

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

One of the most memorable events was the hike at Cabo de Gata. I was overjoyed to learn of a long day-hike along the southern coast and it certainly lived up to my expectations. It was also nice to have a end of the year party to say goodbye to professors.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Granada is very safe. I walked home between 2-7AM frequently and it took my 30-40 minutes to walk home from anywhere. I was never accosted but a couple of my friends were. The good thing about Granada is that if you are robbed, it most likely won't lead to violence. I was robbed in a small coastal town which apparently was an anomaly. My friends and I lost a lot of things and experienced intense frustration when dealing with the local police but IES Granada sent administration to help us. That was greatly appreciated.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I'm not sure how much money per week but I estimate around $800 a month.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Travel is not as cheap as you have heard. Granada has a tiny airport and to fly anywhere you would need to go to Malaga or Seville. I could have budgeted my money better had I bought more groceries instead of eating at tapas bars.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
Language acquisition improvement?

I could practice language with anyone. It was fantastic to be in Granada because the majority of the population only spoke Spanish or was willing to help me in my language development.

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Apartment
  • Dorm
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Peers, professors, small town
* What could be improved?
  • Homestays closer to the program building.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? International/comparative politics major would do well. There are many classes that can transfer as international political credit.