Santander: The best city in Spain! Past Review

By (Sport and Fitness Administration/Management., The University of Texas at Austin) for

Universidad de Cantabria: Santander - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Traveling to Santander was amazing! It was one of the best experiences of my life. I met many new people (from the UT program and locals). My understanding and comprehension of Spanish improved. I became more comfortable when speaking Spanish to others. I became more culturally aware while studying abroad. I definately want to go back...especially to Santander!

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.

The workload was decent. For one of the classes, the students were practically teaching each other the material while the professor just supervised.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The professors were very helpful. The program size was good and this program went above my expectations.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My family was great! They were very welcoming and easy going. The location of my family's home was pretty far from the main areas (the University, the beaches, the central area). They were helpful on informing me about bus routes, festivals, site-seeing and other events.

* Food:

They serve a large quantity of food but the food was good. Most students stayed home to eat and ate out very little. They do like seafood a lot, especially tuna.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We traveled almost every weekend. Europe is fascinating and beautiful! The group excursion that was required wasnt the best because of the long bus rides and we viewed a lot of the same types of builings (Universities, cathedrals, plazas).

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

They always told us to be aware of pick-pocketers, especially when traveling. There are many pharmacies and it was easy to get treated for illnesses or injuries.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? The cell phone that was given to us (included in the program fee) was very expensive.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? SPN 312K
Language acquisition improvement?

We always spoke Spanish at the Univeristy because many people (professors) spoke very little English. I had to speak Spanish in everyday interactions, inside and outside of the classroom.

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Second Year Spanish II

Course Department: SPN 312L
Instructor: Laura Mier
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Slightly challenging because she didnt speak English, but she was very helpful and always there if we needed help. The professor was very knowledgeable and well-prepared. I did participate more often than I would at my home institution.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.
Course Name/Rating:

Conversastion and Composition

Course Department: SPN 318
Instructor: Vance Holloway
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Great course! Great Professor! He was very knowledgeable and well-prepared. He made the class environment very comfortable and he was very helpful with anything we needed. I participated a lot more than I would have at my home institution.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.