The four months that flew by in Granada, Spain. Past Review

By A student (University of North Texas) - abroad from 09/01/2018 to 12/20/2018 with

Spain Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned a lot, not just about Spain and the world around me, but a lot about myself as well. It was incredibly worth while and challenging in many ways, but also a very needed break from life in the states.

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.	I wish I were challenged a bit more in classes and knew of more opportunities to talk with natives outside of the CLM.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	The food was delicious! At the start it took a while to get to it, and I also had to communicate to my host parents about using too much oil and giving me too big of portions, but the overall flavors and combinations were excellent.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes It was safe, and fun, the directors were available and helpful, and we did a lot of amazing activities.

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?	On average 40 dollars a week, more for travel and some for going to cafes/events
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Plan your trips minimum of a month in advance if you can, this will save so much money. Have money set aside each week for going to bars and cafes, and try to spend moderately.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	Because there were speakers of various levels, it was a bit harder to only talk in Spanish to communicate, especially at the beginning.
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?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	Spanish 3110
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?	Try to make native friends and spend time with them, this will help a lot! Spend time with your host family and talk with them, because they are there to not only feed and shelter you, but also to teach you.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	International Students Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students
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?	The people The activities That it was a safe environment
* What could be improved?	Speaking Spanish with each other more, not just in classes and with our host families I wish we got to see and know more about Granada and things to do locally ( we did a lot, but there is still so much more to see) I wish our program encouraged more connections with native students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I knew more about how cheap the flights were and about the various sites available to book flights to plan in advance for trips outside of Spain, websites like goeuro...

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 Linguist You 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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Literatura (16th-18th centuries)
Course Department:	Spanish
Instructor:	Javier Benitez
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	This was a great class! We learned a lot, especially about classic Spanish poetry and classic works like Don Quijote de La Mancha and Lazarillo de Tormes. It was more challenging than my other classes in terms of work load, but the professor made it interesting and entertaining, classes did not feel long. If you love studying Shakespeare and works from the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, this would be a great class for you.
Credit Transfer Issues: