Central College Abroad - Study & Intern in Granada

My semester abroad here in Granada has been amazing! I never thought I would leave the small town life in Iowa as I grew up on a farm. But, it just so happened a semester 'freed' up for me so I dove in and applied for this program.
My time here has truly helped me find my inner being and has helped me grow as a person. Though you are able to depend on your new friends and staff abroad, you're also able to find just how independent you can be.
Taking class every day for 4 hours hasn't been bad at all. I'm in the Intensive program and have class from 9am-1pm every day Monday-Friday. This class has really helped improve my Spanish and I am feeling more comfortable using the language.
Each day brings something new as you learn the Monday-Friday and weekend habits of the locals. And, having the chance to live out the culture the 4 months I've been here has been such a learning experience! There is never a dull moment. From test tasting olive oil and wine and getting to see a Flamenco show and a bull fight, it has been worth every minute!
Of course when you study abroad, you may encounter difficulties along the way, but no matter what life brings there will be easy and hard times. And remember you people around you who can and are willing to help you get through any difficult times. You just need to stay positive and believe in yourself, and everything will be okay! Trust me!
So what are you waiting for? Take the next step towards learning and living a strong, rich culture in Granada, Spain!

This was one of the greatest experiences I've had in college. I was at a point were my course work was mundane and I felt I hadn't actually started living my college life. I needed a chance to see what else was and is offered out there, this was the best and most rewarding option that I wouldn't change for anything.

Central College does an amazing job in making your experience in Granada the best it can be. The program director is always there to be resource to help you. They constantly check with you and the family you are staying with to make sure everything is working out. And if it's not they are receptive and are willing to find a solution.

Also, instead of just going to classes the program takes the time to take the group on tours around the different parts of the city! It's a great way to get more comfortable living in a new place. As a student it is very important to experience the culture too, so Granada is a wonderful city for nightlife or just a stroll around during siesta time.

The classes are also great. They make sure that you are able to succeed as a student. The placement test is designed to find the right level for you, not one that is too high or low. The classes at the university are taught by professors that know what they are talking about and are willing to help you out.

Studying abroad in Granada has been a life-changing experience. People can read this everywhere, but they won't understand or feel it until they come back to the US.
Central's program is set-up in a way that a student is able to experience not only the wonders of Granada, but Spain as well. The program director is always there to answer any questions and make students feel comfortable. I enjoyed living with a host family because I was able to get a deeper insight of the Spanish culture.
One of my favorite classes was Granada Seminar, which was a class unique to Central. The students and I were able to learn about bull fights, gypsies, politics and so much more. The program takes it a step further by taking the students to an actual bull fight, an olive oil manufacturing plant,a flamenco performance and many other places that were discussed in Granada Seminar.
Visiting Morocco was the biggest highlight of my experience. It was just indescribable.Students are able to talk to Moroccan students and learn about their lives and religion first hand.
Studying abroad in Granada will be unforgettable, amazing, and life-changing!

Granada is beautiful. The Sierra Nevada mountains form a gorgeous backdrop for views such as the Alhambra, or the Albayzin neighborhood. The nightlife is alive because the city is made up of mostly students who frequent bars, nightclubs, pubs, the botellon park, etc. Every day I wake up, drink coffee with my host mom, walk 15 minutes to school, learn seriously interesting things in my classes, pop in to the director's office (who is the nicest, most caring, best director of any program I have ever been a part of) have an intercambio meeting with Spanish students, and all the while continue learning and speaking Spanish. There are sport teams and musical groups, internships and volunteering opportunities on offer- it seriously is the whole enchilada. Included is a trip to Morocco, which, for us sheltered American students is a fundamental experience to understanding the world better, especially the Islamic world. Staying three nights with a host family in Rabat, and later touring the majestic countryside of such a historic nation was an invaluable cultural exchange. In summation, it is a great program in a safe city learning a beautiful and useful language learning about a rich culture and being educated at a fine university.

Let me just say that Granada is a beautiful place with a lot of experiences to be had, but it should be known that Andalucia is known for speaking some of the most terrible Spanish and for being unfriendly.
Granada has a lot of people from outside and you will make friends from all over, experience great things, and learn more than you ever have from things outside of a classroom.

Granada: Small, but urban walking city. Beautiful Sierra Nevadas visible from the city. Beautiful views from walking up into neighborhoods near the amazing Alhambra. Fun tapas and big night life. Lots of pollution and poor air quality. Lack of good public transport, but walkable. Constantly changing climate, but when nice it is an incredibly lovely city.

Academics: The classes I take at the CLM have been very disappointing. I know they are aimed at students who are still learning the language, but they lack intellectual stimulation. For example, I am in one class during which the professor plays videos and we try to listen for the answers to basic questions. The course material is very basic, simple facts about many different places and cultures. It is less profound than any class I have taken since elementary school. It seems the professor has not put much effort into the course curriculum as she continues to show us video clips of poor quality and in some cases give misinformation. I have discussed these qualities of the course with other students who feel the same way. While some other courses are better, in general, the classes at the CLM lack depth. I also think the exam that places students at different levels doesn't provide accurate results, because it is simply a tedious multiple choice exam with a few essay questions, but no oral component. My grammar and written/oral practice classes are both very good. The seminars about specific themes are generally the ones lacking substance.
There is a lot of class time and very little homework which would be great if the classes were more engaging.

Program staff: Veronica is a great director with a great team. They organize great cultural events for us including the trip to Morocco, flamenco show, trip to Madrid, etc. Each are very approachable and Veronica is very reliable and easy to contact. She looks out for us and wants us to make the most of our experience here.

Exchange: It is great that the program sets us up with a local Spaniard to meet periodically and practice. However, the ratio of Americans to Spanish is poor and when there are about 5 of us and 1 of them, there isn't much opportunity to speak and the meetings are infrequent. It would be nice to organize smaller groups or even a 1 on 1 situation with more frequent meetings to really facilitate Spanish practice.

Though the program staff is great, the academics at the CLM are not theirs to design and have been a huge let down. Going to class is a frustrating experience.

When I was first researching study abroad programs I didn't even really know too much about Central College Abroad. I originally planned to study in Sevilla with a different program. Unfortunately for me that other program could not guarantee me that courses that I would need to graduate after my semester abroad. Central College Abroad was recommended to me by professors at my school and it ended up being the best decision of my undergraduate career, to complete my degree in Granada, Spain.
As students we don't just simply 'work' with the program directors and staff, we form close relationships and make connections with one another because we come to form a family. The directors and staff of the Central College programs all share a love for acquiring new knowledge of a different culture, all want to constantly share that new knowledge, and also want to ensure that every student has the best experience possible.
This includes scheduling program cultural experiences of traveling and other hands-on activities. At the conclusion of the program in one more month, we will have traveled to 4 different cities of Spain together as well voyaged to another continent (the northern tip of Africa, in Morocco with an exchange program where we lived with Moroccan host families!) where we visited multiple cities as well. And all of our guided trips are not just all historical/serious ones! (Although they are of course, all very cultural.) With this program we have had the opportunities to really emerge ourselves in the Spanish culture with a wine tasting event, an extravagant olive oil tasting experience, a Flamenco show, internship and volunteer opportunities, multiple city tours, a professional futbol game, and the most eye-opening...a bullfight! To put it simply, we are given all of the right tools to succeed living abroad in a different country and continent.
Contact with the Central College Abroad staff while we are physically abroad does not just end after the very first introductory day where we receive program rules, are assigned our host families, and get maps of the city. Throughout the semester we have cultural reunions and group meetings just to talk about progress and how we're really doing in every aspect of study abroad life. If we need help or something needs to be changed or adjusted for us, for example with host families or classes, it will be done.
Moreover the office door for the staff is always open to the students. With that being said, there's always someone in there too; it's not just an empty room. Someone is always there for us to talk to, if we need help, have a question, or simply want to come in and say hello or spend a few quick minutes practicing our Spanish. It's comforting to know that I not only made the right decision by choosing Central College Abroad over any other program, but to know as well that I finished my undergraduate degree in the best way possible.