API Study Abroad Program at the Universidad de Granada, Spain

Having studied abroad in Europe (Ireland) before, I knew I wanted to go to the place where half of my family comes from. Spanish culture has been an active part of my life for as long as I can remember, and though we are not from Granada, it was the perfect place for me to stay for a full academic year (winter break and all).
My Spanish was "okay" before I left my home state of New Hampshire, but I noticed right away that I improved and gained all sorts of knowledge about the language that even my professors at my home university could not have taught me.
I did request to live in a shared apartment with several other people (including a fellow API program student), but it was a rough adjustment and we all chose to go our separate ways. API found me a great new place to live in a matter of a couple of days, and I thoroughly enjoyed having a host family living in the same building as I was, even though I did not live in their apartment with them.
The Universidad de Granada (sprawled across the city, which I did not know initially, but adjusted quickly to walking pretty much wherever I needed to go) was great, and the views from the top of el Centro de Lenguas Modernas were phenomenal. I went to school in a mountain university, so seeing the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance made Granada feel like home.
The program directors were wonderful; Carmen and Curra, along with their student interns Lydia and Gabriela were helpful, especially with the adjustments as the shift of students happened between winter break (right before Christmas) and the new students arriving in late January after the holidays. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of their lives and it was difficult to say goodbye (as well as departing from my host family).
I love(d) Granada, and I could see myself living there in the future.

I had the best experience studying abroad in Spain with Academic Programs International. I went to Granada, which is a beautiful city in southern Spain near the Sierra Nevada Mountains. API prepared us for the experience by having orientation for everyone in the program in Madrid, organizing cultural activities and excursions, and giving us tips on social norms in Spain. My program directors were very approachable and always ready to help with anything or just to chat about how things were going. API is also great because they organize your housing for you (although you can do it on your own if you prefer) with the option of a student residence hall or a homestay. The excursions were some of the highlights of my trip (we went to Rome and a few other places in Spain), and I became friends with a bunch of other API students who really made my study abroad experience memorable. I would definitely recommend API to anyone who wants to study abroad!

My decision to study abroad with API in Granada, Spain was the most rewarding and life changing decision I ever made. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of the amazing experiences and opportunities that this program provided me, and for that I am forever grateful. Each of my expectations were met, and most often exceeded, thanks to the endless, helpful support of the API Granada staff.

I selected Granada as my study abroad city actually through the help of Go Overseas! I submitted a question to Go Overseas, asking the pros and cons of studying in Salamanca, Sevilla, and Granada, and received a response with a ton of information which ultimately helped me make my selection. I chose Granada because it was beautiful and I wanted a smaller city with a more intimate feel, making it easier to learn the language. It was a great decision for me. In a big city like Madrid or Barcelona, English runs rampant. Granada provided more consistent access to the Spanish language. It is an inexpensive city that offers everything. It has a bustling small city feel in its center (far more urban than I was actually expecting), with lots of shopping and eating opportunities, but as soon as you get to the center limits, there is nature and beautiful, extensive views. Places like the Albaicin and Sacromonte are amazing cultural hubs and offer fantastic opportunities to explore. Take a 10 or 20 minute bus ride, you can be in the mountains on a breathtaking hike. It really is a city with everything.

With a primary goal of improving my Spanish, I quickly decided to live with a host family. Looking back, it was the smartest and best decision I made throughout this process. While I could see how choosing to live with a host family is a make or break experience, the decision is a necessity and a no brainer with a supportive program like API. I personally had an amazing host family experience. I'm a vegetarian and had come to the conclusion well before my semester started that my Spanish diet would most likely consist of only bread for my four month stay. This was far from the case. API asked extensive questions before our stay that made the transition abroad seamless. This included dietary restrictions. API paired me with a roommate who was also a vegetarian, which off the bat made the experience far less stressful. My host mother was more than accommodating, making us well-rounded and delicious meals each and every day.

Before studying abroad, I heard a lot about the fear of a lack of freedom to come and go as one pleased when living with a host family. This was never a problem. My roommate and I were each given a key to the apartment, which therefore allowed us constant access. and extensive freedom. There were no curfews or restrictions, with the understanding that we would be respectful when returning late at night. Traveling for long weekends or days throughout the semester wasn't a problem either. We were just asked to tell our host mother our travel dates, both for safety reasons and so she could plan our meals.

Classes were an adjustment at first, but not as difficult to adapt to as I was expecting. Each of my professors had extensive experience in teaching Spanish to foreigners, which made them easy to understand. They were clear and understanding, always willing to answer questions and help their students. Although the actual workload was very light at times, the classes were some of the most helpful Spanish courses I have ever taken. I was in the Spanish Language and Culture program, and therefore didn't have classes on Fridays. This was an added bonus and made it much easier to travel for long weekends!

The one experience I wish I was better-prepared for was the Spanish placement exam at the start of the semester. It was a bit downplayed and ended up being a three hour exam consisting of several parts, including various reading comprehension, listening, and writing sections. My advice would definitely be not to arrive to Spain very rusty on your Spanish language skills, specifically grammar, if your goal is to place high and gain certain college credit. This would require a certain score on the tedious placement exam. If you're a beginner, there's no stress, since you're not looking to be placed in a high level. Overall, it wasn't the most pleasant experience, but it short-lived, and any issues as a result of the exam were quickly fixed by Carmen and Curra, our fantastic Granada resident program directors. In the end, no one started the first week of classes unhappy with their placement.

While abroad, I also had the opportunity to teach an English workshop with my friend. This was a unique opportunity that allowed me the chance to experience what it is like teaching English abroad, which especially great since it's something I'm considering doing after graduation. It was interesting to teach this workshop while improving my own language skills at the same time, because it really demonstrated a universal desire to bridge cultural gaps and learn language, while simultaneously pointing out the universal struggle as well.

In my opinion, a strong highlight of API is the excursion aspect of the program. Being the most reasonably priced program I found, API still offered the most resources for its students. My semester, students went to Cadiz, Las Alpujarras, and Rome, Italy. All of our trips were extremely well organized and allowed for extensive amounts of freedom. There were many opportunities available to us, and most of them were optional, so we were able to pick and chose how we wanted to spend our time. Plus our hotels were stunning and in great locations as an added bonus. We also did a lot of travel during orientation our first week, which was a bit overwhelming but a great experience. We visited places like Madrid, Toledo, and El Escorial. API Granada is a fantastic value for the price of the program.

Ultimately, API Granada was an experience that beyond exceeded my study abroad expectations. I had endless resources and opportunities available to me, in addition to meeting fantastic people. The kindness of Carmen and Curra cannot be matched. The only change I would make next time would be to do it for a full year.

Choosing to study in Granada with API was, hands down, the best decision I've ever made. Granada itself exceeded all my expectations - the API staff outdid themselves, and it only took a week or two for Curra, Lydia and Jose to become my second Spanish family. Every move was coordinated and organized beautifully, and it felt effortless and easy every time.

I originally roomed with a fellow API student, but had some troubles with the host family as well as my roommate and ended up switching to another host mother, Lolita. Curra made the transition incredibly smooth - she helped me set up a time to meet Lolita, listened to my concerns and made sure that it was the best fit for me - and it was. Lolita made me laugh when she teased me about my Spanish, but she taught me new words every day and I know that my Spanish drastically improved because of her and the daily (hilarious) conversations we had. She felt like my real mother by the end of my stay with her. My new roommate and I both felt like sisters in a true Spanish home, and I was surprised and delighted by that.

Classes were much easier than I expected, though transitioning from all English to all Spanish classes was a little overwhelming at first. However, once I learned to just listen and comprehend and ask questions if I didn't understand, it became much easier. The professors were exceedingly patient with us, especially on Monday mornings when the only Spanish any of us could speak was "vale."

The API excursions were a true delight. We encountered a problem when we went to Rome: the Iberia strikes cancelled our flight from Granada to Madrid less than 24 hours before we were supposed to be on it, but - and this proves how amazing the API staff is - we had a bus lined up within a few hours, everyone was notified and there was little to no stress put on the students. Curra and Jose handled everything with a smile and laughter, even when it rained the entire weekend, and made the trip an unforgettable one. The beach weekend in Cadiz could not have come at a more perfect time - right before finals, all of us together, after all of us had been used to staying in hostels, we had a beautiful, gorgeous, unbelievable beachfront hotel and were treated like princes and princesses. It was the best way to end the API experience: together on a beach, relaxing in the sun. The timing couldn't have been better.

I honestly wish that I had chosen to stay for an entire academic year instead of just a semester, because I had no idea I would fall in love with the people, the culture, the program and the stunning city of Granada. If you're on the fence about where to study abroad, or if you should even go, get off. Jump off the fence and onto a plane to Granada, because you're going to have the time of your life.

Honestly, API provides more resources to the city than any of my friend's other programs did. Simple as that. Worth every penny spent. API provides not only excursions but local activities to help you to truly discover the city you are living in.

Studying abroad with API in Granada, Spain exceeded all expectations I had about studying abroad. API Granada's staff greets you with open arms from the moment you step off the plane and will take care of you until the moment you depart. Students never need to stress or worry as Granada's staff members are always willing to help their students with whatever they needed. They truly are wonderful and kind people.

I opted to stay with a host family and I couldn't have made a better decision. My host family not only demonstrated patience as I intially fumbled through the language, but they helped me improve my Spanish, and even treated me as if I were a member of their family. Plus the accomodations are perfect as my roommate and I felt we had our privacy when it was needed, while not offending our host family when we needed time apart from them to study or Skype someone from home.

The academics of the program are a challenge as far as adjusting to taking them all in Spanish, however the amount of classwork and homework is totally managable so no one feels they are missing out on opportunities to explore Granada or travel outside the city. Granada is perfectly located with all of Europe and northern Africa waiting to be explored so close by.

Between the quality of the program and its value (its cost including tuition, housing, trips, etc.) I would recommed studying abroud with API in Granada, Spain to anyone who is interested in embarking on such an incredible opportunity.

Studying abroad with API in Granada, Spain was hands down the best decision I've made to date. Everything about the program was beautifully organized. I became close with the staff who were extremely supportive and knowledgable about Granada and Spain in general.

I chose to live in an apartment with one other roommate and we got a huge living space about 10 minutes walking distance from the center of the city and 25 minutes to campus. The school was delightful, I thoroughly enjoyed walking to class each day in the sunshine.

I was placed in classes that were completely in Spanish, which was more helpful than difficult. Since Granada is almost like a hidden gem in Spain, there aren't many natives who speak English. The professors were extremely patient and aided in my comprehension of the Spanish language in very effective ways.

API provided us all with unique and fun activities like intercambios, tours of places such as the Alhambra, excursions within Spain as well as an international excursion, etc. With just about every student participating in these activities, we became an extremely close group of friends. We all were in the API office just about every day, chatting with the staff, asking for recommendations, making plans, etc.

The staff of API and the program itself is not lacking anything at all. Everyone was always happy to help and just all around genuine people. Study abroad positively changed my entire outlook on life. If I could go back in time, the only thing I would change is that I would study abroad with API for all four years, instead of just one semester.

Studying abroad with API in Granada, Spain was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Not only is Granada a beautiful place, with unbelievable sights, and amazing people, API is the BEST study abroad program. Curra, Lydia, and Ingrid are the friendliest and most helpful advisers you could ask for. They made my transition as easy as possible and were always there for me. They also placed me with a wonderful host family who I still keep in contact with and miss everyday! The classes were great, very interesting and also educational, but also not too demanding as when studying abroad, most of what you learn comes from the outside: the sights, the places, the people, and especially the culture! I will forever cherish the memories and incredible experience I had with API and Granada and hold it close to my heart! I cannot think of a better place nor program!

I absolutely loved studying in Granada, and API helped make it great. They gave a good value for the money (they flew us to Rome with a great hotel, a weekend trip to Cádiz in a four-star hotel, etc.) and the host mom I was assigned to was absolutely fabulous.
I think that overall, any program would be a good choice because no matter what you'll have an amazing experience studying abroad. I'm partial to API because it was one of the lowest-priced programs and the people in the Texas office promptly answered all of my email questions as I was preparing to go.
I will never forget my time in Granada (I wish I could go back right now) and thanks to API I didn't have any big problems or anything.

I recommend API to other students because of the great experience I had with them. Granada was the perfect city because it was not too big and not too small. It was also a university town, so there were a lot of students; spanish, and foreign.
I developed my spanish through the intensive language program, which was 4 hours of spanish class, taught entirely in spanish, 5 days of each week. My host family was wonderful, and I loved that we had the option of staying in an independent apartment with a host family to take care of meals and laundry.
Overall, I was impressed with the amount that API provided for the money we paid. The Granada students, got to visit Madrid. Toledo, Sevilla, Cabo de Gato, and Paris, France. Also, housing, meals, and fees were included in our costs.

I had the time of my life. Literally. Everyone who studies abroad says this, but my experience with API and Granada was amazing.

The staff in the U.S. and on site are extremely helpful in every way possible. The API staff in Granada helped us to get adjusted to Spanish life very quickly, and were there with us throughout the entire study abroad experience--we actually became good friends with them!

Granada is the COOLEST city in the world. Hands down. The Andalucian people are sincere and welcoming, even if they speak a mile a minute and their accents take a second to catch onto. Granada has wonderful shopping, nightlife, restuarants, etc. The tapas are amazing, as is the Sangria.. and the gelato! The best part about Granada is the history--the Alhambra is breath-taking, and the other cathedrals and areas of the city give nice glimpses into it's Moorish past.

You're up in the mountains in Granada and can do all sorts of activities outside, such as hiking or paragliding, but the beaches are only a quick bus ride away. Southern Spain's beaches are TO. DIE. FOR. We went almost every weekend that we weren't traveling with API.

API excursions are the best, as well. We went to other interesting cities that weren't too far away, so we got a real glimpse into areas of Andalucia that we might not have had the experience to on other trips.

Traveling within Spain is super cheap, as well as all over Europe once you're there, and there was room in our schedule for trips to other cities and countries, wich was excellent.

Classes were manageable and did not take up too much time. It is understood that the best way to learn the language is to go out and explore and interact with the Andalucian people. Class would take up 3-4 hours out of the day, and the rest was spent taking siestas, shopping, walking in the Garcia de Lorca park, and just enjoying what Granada had to offer.

I was beyond sad to leave and have been itching to return since I boarded the plane back to the U.S. My advice to you is: STUDY ABROAD. GO TO GRANADA. AND DO IT WITH API!!!!

The University of Granada's classes were manageable

Very well organized program. Sent information about process in an orderly manner.

Great experience here finding our way in the city.

The teachers understand that Spanish is not your first language and therefore they are very patient.

API is a wonderful program provider to go with. They are one of the cheapest program providers for Spain, but everything they do is very high quality! We have always stayed in nice accommodations when traveling, the housing they arranged for me with a host mom was perfect, and they really do a great job of taking care of the students. There are several excursions built into the trip, all of them worthwhile, informative, and fun experiences! API makes sure that students get to see the highlights of the cities they visit, arranging tour-guided trips to El Prado and El Palacio Real in Madrid, and El Escorial, and around the city of Toledo rather than just releasing us into foreign cities. I highly recommend studying abroad with API!

Granada is a beautiful city. Though API bills it as a smaller city, there are over 200,000 people and it has a big city feel in the main shopping district (at least, it does to a midwestern suburbian girl like me!). After dark, it is NOT wise for girls to walk alone, and in fact it is not advisable for girls to walk alone in empty streets. One afternoon, I was approached by drug dealers when walking with a girl and a guy in a deserted neighborhood close to the Alhambra. That section of town is a little sketchy.

But on the whole, Granada is really a perfect location. The weather is temperate, the people are reasonably friendly (more so than in other Spanish cities I visited), the scenery is GORGEOUS, and it is a perfect picture of the typical Spanish town. Street vendors display colorful goods, some priced and others for barter; buses, motos, and pedestrians fill the busy streets; and cute little shops line the roads, some very sophisticated and expensive, others selling cheap souvenirs and hand-made goods.

The Alhambra, a great palace and fortress built in the 1300's by Moorish rulers in the area, overlooks Granada, and it is well worth seeing at least once -- ESPECIALLY the gardens!! They are gorgeous. I could have spent hours in the gardens, snapping perfect beautiful photo after perfect beautiful photo. And the views of Granada from the gardens of the Alhambra are hermosa, as well.

The food in Granada is very much like what we are accustomed to in America. Though it is Spain, and some native dishes are foreign to the American tongue, I have found very mainstream food selections everywhere in Granada, from the Burger King on the corner to the dinner my host mom cooks at home! But beware, the Spanish have bread with every meal. At first, it is tempting to load up on the ever-present carbs available at mealtimes, but soon you may notice that your pants don't fit as well, and you'll have to cut back. I certainly did!

API stood out to me as a fantastic program provider from the start. Before deciding to study with API, I was actually planning to study in Australia with AustraLearn, and I spent several months working with AustraLearn. But when they informed me, two months before I was supposed to leave, that the program cost was going to be $3,000 more than the printed price, I started researching other abroad programs and found API Granada and quickly applied and was accepted last-minute.

With API, the prices were exactly what they said they would be. API was candid about EVERYTHING. In contrast to AustraLearn, API had all the questions answered upfront, and they were very honest about the pros and cons of studying in each location, and even about ordering a cell phone through API. They made all of the information very easy to understand, unlike AustraLearn, and were always cordial and helpful over the phone. After comparing my experience with AustraLearn to my experience with API, I am convinced of API's superior quality as a program provider!

Not only is it a more efficient and more user-friendly company, but API really makes an effort to accommodate students. Before taking our Spanish language placement exam to determine which classes we could take, the directors informed us that if we didn't do as well as we needed to do to receive credit, we could appeal the decision and probably get moved up where we needed to be. This was a HUGE relief for me, while taking the test. It's the little things like that, that really distinguish API from other program providers. They want us to have a fantastic experience, and it shows. I HIGHLY recommend API as a fantastic study abroad experience!

I'm from Southern California and I have never traveled to Europe before. I did not know anyone in the program and was a little worried about being out of my element abroad. API made it VERY easy and convenient to get from the airport to where they had arranged for us to stay in Madrid. The hotel was in the middle of town and it was absolutely the best. We spent a few days in Madrid and went to Granada via bus, which was like a charter bus in America.

My housing was in the center of Granada and my roommate and I could not have been better paired. Being from the opposite side of the country I was slightly worried we wouldn't get along, but we are not the closest of friends. API gave us a tour across the city and showed us how to get to the school. They took us up to the Alhambra, which would have cost about 12 euro (about 15 dollars) and provided a guided tour. It is one of my favorite parts of Granada. Daily a few of us would go and get a drink and FREE tapas which only Granada offers.

The University is really nice, although it is almost 100% other American students. I would like to have more opportunities for intercambios to meet and chat with Spanish people my age.

I stayed with a host family and it worked out very well. I'm a pretty picky eater and she catered to my taste very well but still gave us some freedom to pick what we wanted for breakfasts and dinners.

When picking which city to go to, I knew I would have more opportunities to travel if I lived in a big city. But it is only a short ride, about 10 euro to get to Malaga. In my 1 semester abroad I went to 8 other countries and it was a very reasonable price. When I traveled to the bigger cities there was definitely more pick pocketing and other urban life problems. I compare it to where I live at home. I live in San Diego, and as nice as it is to go to LA, I really like and would promote slightly smaller cities that have a less crazy urban life vibe but still have so much beauty and fun.

API helped me pick my city and do all the processes from my transcript, getting my Visa, any and were there if I had any issues abroad (which there were none).

I absolutely loved my time in Granada. I've talked about it so much that most of my friends now roll their eyes and sigh anytime the word Spain even comes out of my mouth. I chose that city because it is a college town, so I knew there would be lots of Spaniards in my age group, and because it was smaller I thought it would be easier to get into the habit of speaking Spanish more regularly. Also, the city itself is absolutely beautiful + they have one of the most famous gelato shops in all of the south-Los Italianos- I'm pretty sure it was featured on the Travel Channel, or by Rick Steves. The thing I enjoyed the most was just being outdoors on a regular basis, being from a large city in Texas I spend a good amount of time experiencing my city as I drive, I loved getting to walk around, bike ride, hike and just sit outside with a cool drink. I also got very lucky as I was able to experience Spain during a World Cup year so there was lots of excitement, made even better by the fact that they won for the first time ever! The hardest thing was probably adapting to day-to-day activities. Everyone tells about about the history of Spain, the importance of Catholicism, flamenco, tapas, etc. What I didn't know before arrival was what was difficult to adjust to- bringing my own toilet paper to some bars, not having AC on a regular basis, siesta (its real, and once you get used to it, it's glorious) getting used to literally everything being closed on Sundays, etc. As you get accustomed to those things, they become less of a big deal-but I wish I had known ahead of time. Overall, I loved my experience and I would return in a heartbeat.