Horrible - do not study with ASA Past Review
By Mikayla (Winthrop University) - abroad from 06/22/2017 to 06/22/2017 with
Spain Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I gain language skills and that's it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
UPO had interesting classes but it was far away from where ASA placed me and I had to pay weekly for a metro pass (they didn't include that in the sign up info)! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very unhelpful when I was experiencing problems. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
In one word: HORRIBLE. The home stay I was placed in did not have readily available hot water, did not have toilet that could be flushed at each use, a safe environment (my host rented out her extra room to male truck drivers and we had to share our bathroom with them) or a washer and dryer. |
| * Food: |
The home stay food lacked substance and was minimal. I spent too much money on eating out because of this. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The local culture was great; however, I wish ASA provided me with a home stay in which I could have become more immersed in the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got food poisoning while abroad and my site coordinator was, again, very unhelpful. I had to go to the emergency hospital and she did not help me get there or help me while I was there or anything. |
| * Safety: |
For the most part I was fine but while I was there an American girl was raped and a guy was robbed by three Spanish men and he ended up having to go to the hospital to get stitches in his head. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I studied abroad Spring semester of 2016 and it was a huge waste of my time and money. ASA placed me in a home where hot water was not readily available, the toilet could only be flushed 1 time a day (and 4 people shared this bathroom), the host offered her extra room to male truck drivers who we girls had to share the restroom/shower with, there was no central air or heat throughout the apartment and there was no access to a washer or dryer. I tried addressing my problems with the site coordinator and ASA director and they blamed my circumstance on possible "cultural shock." This was not the case as I had friends that loved their hosts and did not have ANY of the problems I was experiencing. I felt as if I was studying abroad in a third world country - not Spain! I ended up spending double of what I expected because the food that hosts provided was minimal and lacked substance, so I spent the majority of my funds on eating out in restaurants (and tapas are cheap so that should tell you something). I also did not feel immersed in the culture which was the main reason I chose to study abroad. SO I WARN YOU - DO NOT STUDY WITH THIS PROGRAM. |
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) |
Not easy because I spent so much money on food because the host's food was not substantial. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 350 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't rely on home stay food. Prepare for spending money at restaurants. |
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? | Intermediate |
| 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? | 202 |
| 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? | Spanishdict.com lessons and quizzes! |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | That I should have chosen a different program! |
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! |
