Oh the Basque Country Past Review

By (International Business, University of Nevada, Reno) - abroad from 01/13/2016 to 05/12/2016 with

USAC Spain: Bilbao/Getxo - International Business and Spanish Language Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Tons of life experience, learned more about myself, as well as other cultures and interests.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes were excellent, on site staff was amazing and helpful.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

On site staff helped us with any questions we had and actively suggested things for us to do or places to go or eat.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Landlord was very nice and helped us with our spanish.

* Food:

Very good food, but a bit on the expensive side.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

erasmus students in some classes, language partners, and some students had spanish roommates

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A

* Safety:

Extremely safe, walked the streets and rode the metro at all hours of the night and never felt remotely in danger.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made and would do so again without question.

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)

Depends on how much you go out, but groceries aren't very expensive. You can save a lot of money by cooking at home.

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

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? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Spanish 306
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? Go out and try to meet people.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Culture
  • Internship
  • on site staff
* What could be improved?
  • nothing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? To learn to let go and let life take you where it will, especially when you're abroad. Take every experience you can .

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.