237 reviews
3.92 / 5 based on 237 reviews

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Jennifer L
Mount Union College, Alliance, OH, United States
International Relations, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Nightlife, Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Activities: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience

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Jennifer L
Mount Union College, Alliance, OH, United States
International Relations, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Home university
If returning, I would choose: With a family
Why?
Although my language skills greatly increased, I think that living with a family would help me improve even more.
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Personal comments
The apartment we stayed in was very nice, but the prices for housing (specifically living with a family) were considerably higher, which discouraged myself and some classmates from choosing that option.
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Jennifer L
Mount Union College, Alliance, OH, United States
International Relations, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Languages
Language of instruction: Spanish
Was learning Spanish a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my Spanish
How much did you improve your Spanish?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
Through the classes I took, the friends I made, and the simply being surrounded by this language every day allowed my abilities to grow substantially.
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Jennifer L
Mount Union College, Alliance, OH, United States
International Relations, Undergraduate, University Agreement
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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Jennifer L
Mount Union College, Alliance, OH, United States
International Relations, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Personal savings
Other sources of funding:
Family<br>
Personal savings<br>
Government assistance<br>
A private grant
Work opportunities:
It was not legal for me to work
Personal spending habits
I live in a smaller city at home, so living in a big city, this was to be expected.
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Overall, Nightlife, Housing, Travel:
was more expensive than at home.
Food, Telephone:
was the same price as at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items

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Jennifer L
Mount Union College, Alliance, OH, United States
International Relations, Undergraduate, University Agreement
Overall
I wish I had known...
I fell in love with the city of Madrid, so much that I returned as an Au Pair the next summer. My semester abroad was an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone.
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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 professors are amazing and helpful. Although through the program I went through, we were not in classes with Spaniards, improvements will be made through the Spanish grammar, composition, and conversation courses.
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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
Don't be scared to make friends with people from Spain or other countries. Once a conversation is initiated, more than likely, it will turn into a friendship.
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