461 reviews
4.27 / 5 based on 461 reviews
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0
anonymous
Languages
Language of instruction: Spanish
Was learning Spanish a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
How much did you improve your Spanish?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
My level after: At ease in most situations
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
I had gone expecting to gain fluency, but after a month of being there I realized that that wasn´t going to be possible. In order to fully learn a language I recommend staying there for a year.
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8
anonymous
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Government assistance
Other sources of funding:
Family
Personal savings
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
Food in Alicante was extremely cheap. The telephone obviously adds up when you are making calls cross continental instead of within the same country. Accomodation is unbelievably cheap if you go through the university. But, I recommend not going through a program if you want to save money. My friends who went through a program are spending $5,000 more than I because I applied directly. The reason I am spending more on travel is because I choose to travel to other countries and cities in Spain on the weekends. Overall, Spain is quite cheap and it will be difficult to go back to the states and pay the prices that we seem to be stuck with there.
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Telephone, Travel:
was more expensive than at home.
Food, Housing, Nightlife, Overall:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
DON´T GO THROUGH A PROGRAM. APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE HOST SCHOOL.
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0
anonymous
Academic
My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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0
anonymous
Overall
I wish I had known...
Overall, I felt pretty prepared.
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In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
The university is wonderful, the campus is beautiful and the teachers are wonderful. The teachers take any extra time that you need to explain something that you don´t understand.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
Travel tips: pack lightly, no more than two bags, be ready for a completely different schedule of meals and nightlife. Make sure you travel, take advantage of being in a new place. Bring a journal and record your thoughts and experiences. You think you might remember it all, but you don´t and it is so fun to read that journal and travel back to those times.
This has been the best experience in my life. Beware of becoming addicted to studying abroad because I didn´t want to come home to the US.
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10
anonymous
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Nightlife, Travel: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Activities: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
The nightlife in Alicante is much more than had been first anticipated. The size of the city in comparison to the insane nightlife do not match up. Everyone goes out to El Barrio around 12 midnight. El Barrio consists of over 150 bars in approximately a 5 block radius. After El Barrio, everyone heads to El Puerto, the port which is right on the meditteranean. This usually happens between 4-5 in the morning. You end up going home around 7 in the morning. I would say that would constitute an incredible nightlife. My favorite clubs/bars include Astronomo, El Misión, and Mulligan´s.
And now for comida, a wonderful, wonderful mexican restaurant is Cactus. I recommend the chicken fajitas and the strawberry margaritas, guaranteed to be the best you´ve ever had. I hate superlatives, but it is no lie. A wonderful place to grab some tapas is Lezarron. Amazing and ladies there are some cute waiters there.
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1
anonymous
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
I enjoyed the freedom of living in an apartment along with meeting other international students. I lived with two girls from Barcelona and a boy from Germany. It was a wonderful experience to live with folks from other countries.
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