A Great Learning Experience in all Aspects Past Review
By A student (University of Connecticut) - abroad from 01/15/2016 to 05/15/2016 with
UConn: Granada - UConn in Granada, Spain
Yes, my experience abroad was definitely worthwhile. I learned a lot, not only about the Spanish language, but about myself. I became more independent and spontaneous, as I didn´t go into each day with a solid plan. I put myself out there more and was able to make a lot of new friends as result.
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. |
It wasn´t overly intense or rigorous, but it allowed me to have more free time to practice the language and experience the culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Spanish professors were very understanding and nice and I think that they were very good. However, our director was very unorganized and seemed to be confused with her own planning often. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I liked living with my señora and her daughter because it forced me to speak Spanish and practice the language, but sometimes I wished I lived with people my age or with other Spanish students. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living with a host family allowed to experience the culture, however since we only had classes with UConn students it was hard to meet locals our age and fully experience the Spanish lifestyle. |
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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
I would definitely choose to go to Granada again, as I loved the city, but I think that I would try to pick a program that incorporated meeting more locals and allowed me to practice Spanish outside of school and the home more. |
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) |
Having a host family, I did not have to buy a lot of food each week. Granada is a pretty cheap city, so I was able to pay for food and other expenses relatively easily. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50-60 Euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Keep a budget and try your best to stay in it so that you don´t get carried away |
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 |
Our classes were in Spanish and our host families only spoke Spanish, but because all of our classes were with UConn students who all spoke English, it was hard for us to continue only speaking Spanish when were together. Also, our resident director usually only spoke in English to us, so it was difficult to practice it sometimes. |
| 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 3242 |
| 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? | Do intercambios! Also, don´t just hang out at more American places, go out to the authentic places because that´s where you will meet more native Spanish speakers and really experience the culture. |
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? | If you want to really improve your language abilities, you have to put a lot of effort into it and don´t be afraid to talk because it´s the only way you will get better. |
