Alicante: Trying Something New Past Review
By Amanda M (Sociology., Hollins University) for
SSA Education Abroad: Alicante - Semester, Year or Summer in Alicante
What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I think it was worthwhile. I expanded vocabulary and my confidence in speaking the language improved the more I practiced and spoke. I thought that the grammar classes were extremely helpful, especially practicing with students from everywhere. I think my eyes opened even more to the cultures outside of the USA, and yet, it didn't "shock" me as much as I expected. I personally adapted fairly well to certain cultural things. I think that I did take the experience for granted at first when I was there. I continued, in certain aspects, to act as I would here. It wasn't until mid-way through the program when I finally started to reach out a bit more. I traveled more around Europe and tried to have the best time I could.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt that the director was too busy to help out with every situation that I had. I could contact her through email or phone, which was nice, but she was so busy that sometimes if I asked her to talk to a professor for me and with me, she never got around to it. I didn't feel as important to her or noticed. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
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| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I think a more outgoing student would work for this program because we interacted with students from all over the world, such as Germany or Japan. If you were shy, it was harder to connect in class even. The atmosphere was great; you could walk most places, and the beach was close, but you have to ride a bus to the university everyday. |
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