When it comes to Spain...no pain, no gain Past Review
By Melissa m (spanish, Colorado State University) for
Instituto Franklin-UAH: Alcalá de Henares - Study Abroad in Spain
It was definitely worth my while. What I loved the most was how Alcala is located in the center of Spain so we could go in any direction and get to another city in a reasonable amount of time for a weekend trip. And the professors were all about going out and seeing the world and they themselves were world travellors who gave us suggestions on what sights to see.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teachers were more laid back when it came to getting through the material and they didn't leave massive amounts of homework so that students could have time to travel. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
there were problems when it came to using the computer lab because it was so small, they close early and the lab assistant was only available for a few hours, which was mostly during the time we spend in class. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Close to the university. But the couple was going through a rough time in their relationship which is probably why they should not have had a student in the house because it was somewhat stressful. |
| * Food: |
All the fast food restaurants products were of higher quality than american restaurants. don't be afraid to try, for example, McDonald's in Spain |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Had field trips with professor who spread taught about the importance of the places we were visiting. It was much better than going on our own. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
we had great insurance coverage. |
| 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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I lived with a host family with whom I was forced to practice the language. All my classes were in Spanish and I signed a contract committing to speaking only spanish with those who speak it as well. |
| 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? | A student who is not afraid of living with another family and is willing to make a lot of mistake through his or her learning experience. |
