Superb Study in Salamanca Past Review
By Carmen K (Spanish, International Business, Washington State University - Pullman campus) - abroad from 01/22/2014 to 05/23/2014 with
IES Abroad: Salamanca - Advanced Spanish Immersion
My study abroad experience was definitely worthwhile! I learned to be a lot more comfortable in my own skin. I gained new friends from all over the world, and became significantly more independent. I learned how to control the Spanish language significantly better, and gained a love for Spanish culture that I never thought I would have. I am a lot more worldly, and have an appreciation for the Spanish language that I never had before.
Review Photos
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. |
Classes were both challenging, but were easy enough to understand and really grow in the Spanish language and culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I found the administration very knowledgable, friendly, and willing to help out their students as much as they could. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mother was absolutely amazing and cooked me better food than at the restaurants and was willing to help me out if I needed some. |
| * Food: |
If there was an option for more than 5 stars, I would give it a higher rating. So much of Spanish culture is closely related to the food, and it was all better than I imagined. It was a lot of beef, pork, olive oil, and eggs, but it was all lovely. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Teachers and other students were really friendly, for the most part, however the culture in Salamanca is such that my peers were very personal and to themselves until you got to know them. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was healthy for the most part when I was there, but when I went to a pharmacy (over a mile away) they were friendly and were able to grant me a prescription for my cold. Some of the pharmacies were far away and small, but you could definitely get what you needed. |
| * Safety: |
I never once had any problems myself, but some of my friends were pick pocketed when they weren't being careful. |
| 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) |
I know some people who barely spent any money abroad, and some who spent upwards of $5000 dollars. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Depending on the week and if I was traveling ~$50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Because I didn't have an international credit card, I was charged every time I took money out of an atm, so what I would do was I would at the beginning of each month, I would take 200 euros (about $350) out of the bank. Because I was watching physical money leaving my hands, it was a lot easier to budget myself. |
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 |
My program had an option to join "Spanish club," wherein all students involved spoke Spanish for the entire semester. All of my classes were conducted in Spanish, as well as all of my advising/administrative appointments. |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 407 |
| 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? | Don't worry about making mistakes. That's the best way to learn. Try to make an effort to speak the language as much as possible, because you'll learn more than you even think you will. It's really easy for me to slip back into English, but I was able to switch into Spanish later in the semester. For me, the change in my Spanish language abilities was imperceptible, however it wasn't until I came back to the US that I realized how much I learned. It's really easy to compare your Spanish speaking abilities to natives, but in reality, it's not something you should do, because the truth of the matter is that we are speaking second language, and they are just speaking their own. My number one tip would be to not get discouraged with learning another language. It's difficult, but it's worth it. |
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 would have exposed myself more to the lifestyle more there, and made a point of talking to locals more. Castilla y León is known to have people who are more to themselves, but that being said, I had opportunities to meet a lot of people that I didn't end up taking. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
