Spain : Testimonials (Alicante)
The following program testimonial responses have been selected for publication by Office of International Programs
We want to hear about your experience!
Why did you choose this program?
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I chose this program because Alicante sounded really great. I hadn't been to the east coast of Spain before, other than Barcelona, and wanted to try a different area of Spain. I chose the program because it was smaller than the other programs and I wanted to be surrounded by less americans.
— William Pharr, Spring 2013 |
Why did you choose this program?
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I chose Alicante, first off, because of its size as a city, its friendly and welcoming culture, its warm climate, and its proximity to the beach. The program itself (CIEE's Liberal Arts Program) appealed to me because of its offerings of business classes, and especially because I had the opportunity to take a business class at the University of Alicante in English. The rest of my classes were in Spanish through the program. I think Alicante is the perfect place to study abroad because it is not currently infiltrated with study abroad students (or tourists during the school year) and it's a very affordable city to live in. I had the chance to live like a local and I was expected to speak Spanish everywhere I went as most people don't speak English. The city is also the perfect size for exploring and getting to know, but at the same time it's not too small or boring (there's always lots going on). Alicante has a huge airport which made traveling easy, and it really is a bustling metropolitan city located right on top of beaches and a historic castle. I felt like Alicante's culture was very easygoing and tranquil which made for an enjoyable semester!
— Katherine Pellon, Spring 2014 |
What was your favorite aspect of this program?
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My favorite aspect of this program was the ability to learn things other than spanish in spanish. The program was intensely focused on and open to involvement in the community and immersion in its culture.
— William Pharr, Spring 2013 |
What was your favorite aspect of this program?
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I think the CIEE Alicante teachers and staff were by far my favorite part of the program. They are beyond helpful and offer advice on just about everything. They know Alicante and the surrounding area very well, and encourage students to take advantage of every opportunity. Everything was organized and efficient, and they're well equipped to handle any situation American students may run into. Because CIEE Alicante is a smaller program, they have more of a chance to go "above and beyond" and the small classes also allow for more in depth language learning. I always felt comfortable speaking in Spanish, even if I didn't know exactly the right verb conjugation or grammatical rule to use. Everything was catered to the individual and all of the staff and teachers were easily accessible for questions or extra help.
— Katherine Pellon, Spring 2014 |
What was your housing situation like?
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My housing situation was great. I lived about 10 minutes from downtown in a big neighborhood with a pool and a tennis court. Four other students lived in the same complex as me. I became close to my host-family and their friends. They were very welcoming and understanding of any culture barriers and at the same time were good parents and looked after me. It was great to be with a family truly took care of me. Suni and Julio will always have a special place in my heart. They are wonderful people and so kind to have let me stay with them. We had so many great adventures together.
— William Pharr, Spring 2013 |
What was your housing situation like?
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I lived with a host family in their apartment which was in Alicante's city center! My walk on La Explanada (the boardwalk) to the beach was less than 10 minutes, and I could walk to Plaza de Luceros in about 10 minutes as well. I lived with my Spanish mom, dad, sister, and dog (a pug!). I quickly fell in love with my family and loved spending time with them at meals and during the evenings. They took me in as one of their own (I still talk to my host mom on Facebook and she refers to me as her daughter)! They were kind, accommodating, welcoming, and supportive as I navigated picking back up Spanish (it had been over a year since my last Spanish class). I learned so much about their culture and loved the food my host my cooked for me (she had no qualms about cooking all vegetarian meals for me). My understanding was that they take in host students because they enjoy both the company and they enjoy sharing their culture with young students who are eager to learn. The only mismatch I ran into with my host family was that my host mom was a heavy smoker who smoked in the house all the time, which really bothered me. It was something I just dealt with (all of my clothes will forever smell like tobacco), but wasn't the worst problem I could have run into. — Katherine Pellon, Spring 2014 |
What was your favorite class and why?
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It is hard to say what my favorite class was. The most educational one would definitely be the Mediterranean Gastronomy class. We learned so much and experienced so much about the culture of Spain. It made for great conversations with all of the locals and allowed us to truly take advantage of our time in Spain by trying new things that we wouldn't have known about if it weren't for that class. Another fun one was the Colloquial Spanish class. This one was fun because we learned things that allowed us to become more Spanish, such as ways of speaking and phrases that helped us relate to our listeners.
— William Pharr, Spring 2013 |
What was your favorite class and why?
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My favorite class was Human Resources, E-Market, And Marketing Inside Spanish Business and Management, which ended up being an independent study with the professor and me because no one else expressed interest in the class. This class was very practical and hands on, and the professor gave me a lot of leeway to determine the direction of course materials. We focused a lot on the process of E-Commerce, from start to finish, and what it takes to run an E-Commerce business. I also particularly enjoyed our study of E-Marketing because I was able to use real life examples to explain marketing strategies of companies with cutting edge social media profiles. It was an exciting class that was very relevant to today's current events.
— Katherine Pellon, Spring 2014 |
What did you gain from studying abroad?
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I believe that studying abroad is a very advantageous experience for someone my age because, in the end, you learn what it means to be living "in the world", instead of being blinded by american culture.
— William Pharr, Spring 2013 |
What did you gain from studying abroad?
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Studying abroad was an incredible experience-- 5 months of new, exciting adventures and constant learning. I travelled to more places (during and after the program) than I could have possibly imagined, and I loved every minute of it. I am more comfortable speaking Spanish than I ever thought was possible, and I am also more comfortable in new situations as I was constantly challenged to step outside of my comfort zone when traveling and even while living with my host family in Alicante. I gained a more holistic world perspective and an appreciation for the many different ways in which people live throughout the world. I also gained an appreciation for the Spanish culture's "siesta": sometimes you need to take a break and re-group!
— Katherine Pellon, Spring 2014 |