You'll learn lots about yourself and your own culture! Past Review
By A student (Instituto Franklin-UAH) - abroad from 01/09/2017 to 04/28/2017 with
Instituto Franklin-UAH: Alcalá de Henares - Study Abroad in Spain
Travel experience, improved fluency in Spanish, exposure to different cultures and foods. Yes, would recommend!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
|
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I wish we would have had more opportunities presented to us by the school to get to know Spanish local students our own age. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Incredibly easy to use the GeoBlue healthcare. I had a cold so I went to the hospital to see the doctor which I was able to get into right away and they provided a translator as well. |
| * Safety: |
|
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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? | Around 20€ in the city each week if I wasn't traveling. If I traveled that increased to about €200-300 for a weekend. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Use goeuro.com for transportation, as well as BlaBlaCar. Hostelworld and Airbnb and good for finding cheap places to stay. |
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 |
I wish It would have been made mandatory to only speak Spanish when on school grounds since most of the time we all spoke english. |
| 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? | Span251 |
| 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? | Interact with locals! The bummer part about this program is that your classes are all with other US students, so for the most part you talk in English. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Bring lots of warm clothes and pace yourself on the food! |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
