The Best Summer of My Life Past Review
By Barbara M (Accounting, University of Maine at Orono) - abroad from 06/04/2012 to 06/22/2012 with
USAC Spain: Bilbao/Getxo - International Business and Spanish Language Studies
It was amazing to experience a new culture firsthand. Naturally I wish I could stay forever. It's been SO fun!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I took a four credit class. It was a lot of work as it was packed down into three weeks, but I still had plenty of time to do everything else I wanted! And all the teachers were great. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff is amazing. So helpful, so friendly. They're good people, and will help you with anything you need even if it's not strictly school related! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment was much nicer than I expected, and in a great location. |
| * Food: |
Food will never be the same! Sooo good! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This was really my fault. You make quick friends with the other students in the program and naturally want to hang out with them. For me, when I arrived I didn't know any Spanish so it would have been difficult for me to make Spanish friends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
We were well informed of the health care policy, and the few students that needed to use it had no problems. Our program director encouraged us to see a doctor if we weren't feeling well and would drive us there himself. |
| * Safety: |
Bilbao is the third safest city in Europe. I never felt unsafe anywhere I went. |
| 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) |
If you choose to, it's easy to live on a budget. The food from the supermarkets is cheap and you can find good deals at restaurants. The rest is up to you whether or not you want spend a lot of money on shopping. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $80/week (I liked to eat out) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | A budget is huge. Know how much money you have to spend per week. And always have some wiggle room. You'll always run into a few unexpected costs. Eating out and going to bars is fun, but make sure you keep a balance. |
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 |
It was a short session but at least for the Spanish classes we were encouranged to go out in the street and practice what we knew. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | N/A |
| 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? | SPEAK it. If you don't have anyone to talk with, practice in the car by yourself. It sounds ridiculous, but the more you make your brain do it, the more of a reflex it becomes. |
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? | Budgeting is important. And I wish I had more previous experience with the language. |
