Type of housing: Apartment/House

Arranged by: Host university

If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House

Why? the shared apartments are the only - ONLY good option in alicante. and what is more - better live in ALICANTE, not in San Vicente - Alicante atleast looks like a city : )))

Personal comments:
the university dormitories are too expensive compared to the shared flats. there are two options where to live - San Vicente, which is right next to the university but is a village and Alicante - which is down on the sea. Not good not bad. i'd say it's a good place to be for like 3-4 months not more.

Describe host city: Students interact with the local community without much university involvement

Nightlife, Travel: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment

Activities: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment

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.

Course recommendations:
I was housed through 'Houses for you' managing director Javier Ornia. they are the dirtiest most unproffesional, disgusting company I have ever delt with and are threatening and intimidatory. The company is run by idiots and the service they offer is worse than anyone can imagine.

Personal comments:
I was housed through 'Houses for you' managing director Javier Ornia. they are the dirtiest most unproffesional, disgusting company I have ever delt with and are threatening and intimidatory. The company is run by idiots and the service they offer is worse than anyone can imagine.

Language of instruction: Spanish

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.

Travel, Telephone: was more expensive than at home.

Food, Nightlife, Overall, Housing: was less expensive than at home.

I wish I had known...
That I needed a visa!! No one told me I had to get a travel Visa, so I got my passport with a visa a week before I was supposed to leave. Talk about stressing me out. Also, if you want to do a lot of travelling, do not take a conventional suitcase!! I was stupid and ended up halling a huge suitcase all over the train stations and ferry boats and subways. There are way to many stairs to be doing that. I definitely recommend a backpack!!! All my friends with backpacks had to watch me in pity as I struggled to make it up all those stairs.

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.