Spain: It will change your view on life Past Review
By Josh C (Political Science/Spanish, Western Washington University) for
ISA Study Abroad in Salamanca, Spain
It was very worthwhile. I learned first hand about a culture and a country. I met new friends who are amazing. I saw things that previously I have only read about or seen in pictures. I was 6,000 miles from home and I was able to live without influences from family and old friends. I discovered who I am.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Different letter grades, different ranges for those grades, and little homework, no study time in class, and majority of grade rested on the final. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
strengths were its ability to help us with our classes, travelling, and counseling if we needed it. weaknesses were its limited hours open and their inability to relate to American culture which was difficult for us to explain certain frictions between homestays and us students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My homestay had internet, my own room, and was close to nightlife and my friend's. My host family was not very welcoming and at times mean. I would have had a better experience if I had a different host family. |
| * Food: |
food was good for the most part but at times i ate strange meals like tongue, blood, squid ink, and other things which i don't know what they were and honestly i don't want to know. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The nightlife in Salamanca was amazing. Everything was cheap and the music was better than back home. My friends and I went on four trips by ourselves, one of them to Berlin. It was the most amazing time of my life. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Spain's healthcare system is very modern however it is impossible to find any American named products in the pharmacies. you have to settle for the spanish version and sometimes they don't work as well as the Americans. Also, they like to prescribe antibiotics to every illness it seems. If you have a cough, antibiotics. If you have an ear ache, antibiotics. If you have cold, antibiotics. It was bizzarre. |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Spoke spanish with the locals and mostly english with my friends. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Never, ever refuse a chance to meet new people and make new friends. I can now say that some of my best friends are those that I meet in Spain and I plan on being friends with them for life. |
