Spanish Studies in Granada

Program Dates

• • Spring 22: tba

  • Summer 2022: tba

  • Fall 2022: tba

IMPORTANT: Please read the general visa instructions on the Spain Country Page first!

STEP 1: Sign up for a visa appointment within 90 days before your program start date, but at least 6 weeks out.

STEP 2: Compile the following, based on the Visa Instructions from the Chicago Consulate of Spain, also making a second photo copy of all documents to accompany:

• • • Two 2x2 passport style photos (one will be glued on the front of your visa application form)

    • A copy of your student ID, front and back

    • Your original passport that has more than two blank pages and is valid for more than 1 year, and a photocopy of your passport bio page.

    • Your visa/acceptance letter from Illinois. (This will satisfy requirement number 6- Evidence of funds)

    • Your Spanish translated international insurance letter of coverage (within My Study Abroad documents)

    • Your acceptance letter from CEGRÍ

    • A completed Visa Application form (see step 3 for guidance)

    • One money order or cashier’s check for the visa fee ($160). They do not accept any other form of payment.

    • Your program is not over 180 days, so you will not need a background check or medical certificate.

STEP 3: Complete the Visa Application form. Below are some common questions that come up.

• • • For question 11: This is not applicable. Do not fill in.

    • For question 12: Check the box ordinary passport, unless you have diplomatic status or a special circumstance.

    • For question 19: Write ‘student’

    • For question 20: Check the box ‘studies’

    • For question 21: Write your program start date

    • For question 22: Check the box ‘more than two entries’

    • For question 23: Write the following address: Sacristía de San Matías 12, E-18009, Granada, España

    • You do not need to complete questions #24-27

    • For question 28: Write in the following:

      • • Name: International Centre of Higher Learning (CEGRÍ)

        • Address: Sacristía de San Matías 12, E-18009, Granada, España

        • Telephone number: (+34) 958228602

        • Email: info@cegri.edu.es

        • Intended starting/ending date of study: Write your program start date and end date

STEP 4: Go to your visa appointment at the Chicago Consulate (see address below) with all the documents collected, and your duplicate copy of the entire packet. You will be turning in your original passport while waiting for the visa determination.

STEP 5: After receiving notification of issuance, pick up your visa at the Chicago Consulate. There is an option to have it mailed to you, which requires an additional form to be complete (linked in the consulate’s visa processing instructions sheet). If you receive a denial notice, please obtain a copy of that letter and immediately notify Erin Leonard (ell3@illinois.edu), so that we can work to resolve any issues.

CONSULATE GENERAL OF SPAIN PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 180 N. Michigan, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60601

Website of the Chicago Consulate

*IF YOU ARE NOT A US PASSPORT HOLDER, OR A DUAL CITIZEN, PLEASE REFER TO THE CONSULATE’S INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR COUNTRY OF CITIZENSHIP.

Orientation

You will stay at a local hostel for your first three days in Granada. Once there, you will participate in a series of activities and visits that will ease your transition into the new culture and reinforce your knowledge of Spain. These orientations will give you practical information that will be of great use throughout the semester. During the orientation, the program will not provide meals; you will be able to dine at the local restaurant of your choice. Your family will pick you up at the hostel and escort you to their home. Below is the information on the local hostel.

HOSTAL ATENAS

Calle Gran Vía de Colón, 38

18010 Granada, Spain

Tel: +34 958.278.750

Arrival

We will do our best to provide a group transportation from the Granada airport that corresponds with a group flight. However, if there is not enough interest, or if you are flying in at another time, utilize the instructions below for getting from the airport to the hostal:

For those arriving in Granada (regional airport that is approximately 10km from Granada city center):

• • To get to Hostal Atenas, you can travel by bus that costs approximately 3 euros per person. Get off at the only stop on Gran Vía street. From there you will need to walk a couple blocks to the hostel. It takes around 30 minutes to reach the center.

  • If you decide to travel by taxi, it costs about 20 or 25 euros and takes about 15 or 20 minutes.

For those arriving in Malaga (closest major International airport):

• • There are around eight daily direct buses from Malaga Airport to Granada. It takes 2.5 hours to arrive and the ticket price is approx. 12-15 euros. Purchase tickets in advance through https://www.alsa.es/.

  • The arrival bus station is a few kilometers from the hostal, so you’ll need to take a city bus or taxi to your final destination. If taking the bus, get on the 33 and off at Gran Vía 54. You’ll need to walk a couple blocks to the hostal.

  • The address of the hostel is: Gran Via de Colon, nº 38, 18010, Granada. Below is a picture of the hostal.

Below is the program handbook to utilize as a resource. You will also receive more orientation items on-site upon arrival. You can also find this program handbook in your My Study Abroad documents.

You will live with a homestay family throughout your time in Granada. Homestays are an integral component of the learning experience, and often a highlight for participants. Your family provides not only housing and most meals but also a vital connection to Spanish culture.

There will be a range of families with whom you can be placed; most have hosted foreign students before, but some may be unfamiliar with hosting foreigners. Remember, no matter what the structure, your host family is there to introduce you to Spanish society and culture. Just as there is a period of adjustment to the new academic environment, you will surely need time to get used to your host family.

The keys to a successful homestay experience are FLEXIBILITY and COMMUNICATION. If for some reason you wish to change host families, speak to the Housing Coordinator at CEGRÍ. Moving is usually not a problem, provided the student has given appropriate notice to both the housing coordinators and the host family (this issue will be discussed during the on-site orientation in Granada).

Host family matching is done based on your questionnaire responses in My Study Abroad. So its important to be honest and thorough with your responses.

One tip students have given is to come with a personal token of appreciation to give to your host family upon arrival. This can be an expression of yourself or your home location, and opens up conversation.

Student Voices on Housing

• • Every housing situation is different, just be appreciative of what you get and do your best to integrate yourself into the family as much as possible. Don't be afraid to voice any concerns or problems.

  • Be honest as possible in your host family application. They do a good job matching students to their families based on the bios given by the students and the host families.

  • I would recommend talking to your host family early because they are able to help with what to pack, where to start trip planning for your future semester and what previous students did in the past regarding classes.

  • Make an effort to have a relationship with your host family. That was the most rewarding aspect of my abroad experience.

  • Be honest with your host family, especially regarding food.

  • Your host family is an invaluable resource to you, especially in regards to improving your speaking abilities. Take the time to sit down and talk to them, and try not to sit cooped up in your room the whole time, because the semester will be over before you know it and so will your time with your family.

  • In the start of the program, I did not experience the honeymoon phase that's sometimes mentioned. I felt tired and overwhelmed, especially since I did not know anyone. Luckily, I was patient with myself and the experience. While the first three weeks were a period of adjustment and growth, I felt extremely comfortable there by the time I had been there a month. By the end of the program, I felt very content and the happiest I have been in my life. It's important to give yourself time to adjust, even if you think everyone else has already adjusted.

Course Selections

• • • You will select your courses in My Study Abroad prior to departure, by choosing 1) how many courses you would like to take, and 2) ranking them in order of preference. If a class needs to be canceled due to low enrollment , the academic director will use this list to place you in the next course down on your list.

    • Be sure to check the course equivalences sheet (in your My Study Abroad documents), and have a conversation with your academic advisor before making your selections.

Class Scheduling

• • • The most typical class schedule would have you in one or two classes each morning, between 9 am and 3 pm, and/or one or two classes each afternoon, between 4:30 pm and 8:15 pm. These are very common class and work times for Andalucians. Classes are Monday – Thursday. You will receive your schedule upon arrival in Spain.

Course Approvals

• • • For the course approval process (Illinois students only), you will have access to a pre-filled course approval form within your documents in My Study Abroad. Utilize this to turn into your college.

    • As a note to Illinois Spanish majors only: the courses at CEGRÍ do not count towards the residency requirement of upper level Spanish courses: only 3 credit hours per term abroad will count towards your Advance Hours residency requirement. Be sure to bring this up in your conversations with your academic advisor when selecting courses.

Transcripts

• • • Transcripts will be sent from CEGRÍ automatically a few weeks after the end of the program. However, depending on your home university, the time for receipt and processing can take a few months. For Illinois students, you can track to see when your transcript is received (but not yet processed) by the Office of the Registrar by when the digital copy is uploaded into your My Study Abroad documents.

Student Voices on Academics

• • The cultural analysis course was always fun because the class had an open discussion format where the students would talk about culture and social norms both in the US and in Europe. It was interesting to compare and contrast cultures. The history of art course was also incredibly interesting. I had never taken an art course before, very much less been in a setting with so much amazing art and architecture. I felt I learned a lot and for this reason I found this course so interesting. The Arab-Islam studies course was the most meaningful to me because I truly felt like I learned a lot about a whole new culture and religion that I knew little to nothing about. I mean Islam is such a big and important part of our world, the very least we could do is learn a little about it, that way we could understand the people more.

  • My absolute favorite course was Arab-Islamic studies. I would recommend this class to EVERYONE!! Structure of Spanish was a grammar class taught by Julia and although grammar kind of stinks, I would totally recommend this class. Julia was a wonderful teacher and my grammar improved exponentially which helped a lot with my speaking and listening.

  • I really enjoyed my Art History class. It was taught in Spanish and we went to a new cultural place around the city every week. It was a great way to learn more about the city.

  • All the classes I took were structured well and had the right amount of workload to learn what needed to be learned while having time to immerse myself in the host culture. Foreign language proficiency needed was generally above basic, but if anyone was struggling the professors would make sure that student and the class understood what they were saying. Exams were fair with nothing surprising on them, and grading was the same.

  • I thought the workload was less than my workload in the United States, but it still helped in teaching me the language and different aspects of Spanish culture. The grading and exams were overall fair, and proficiency in the language is definitely needed before you go on the Granada program.

You will participate in at least two full-group excursions during the semester. Common excursions have been an overnight trip to the Alpujarras (in the mountains) and a day trip to Córdoba. (Note: These are subject to change based on conditions in Granada.)

There will also be dinners and small group activities organized by the program. For each of these, the program pays for transportation and some meals, while you are expected to pay for some meals and incidentals. You cannot be refunded the cost of an excursion from your program fees if you choose not to attend. You will be given more information on excursions once you arrive in Spain.

Intercambios and Service Learning are two additional ways to integrate into the community. Intercambios is a paired conversation partner with a local who is also looking to improve their English. Service learning opportunities will be built into the semester-long Oral Spanish course and the Cultures of Spain course, but can be sought out individually as well.

Student Voices on Engagement

• • I volunteered at a Parkinson's center and Cerebral Palsy center. Both experiences were related to my future career in occupational therapy.

  • I worked at a Parish. I coached a soccer team as well as tutored English.

  • On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I helped teach English at a community center for elderly people in Granada. It was rewarding to help my students improve their English, and it helped teach me more about the struggles people deal with when learning another language. Over time, I learned tricks like reading slower for my class so they could follow along and having the entire class repeat difficult words. I also learned how beneficial it is to always be encouraging of your students.

  • We had to volunteer for Oral Spanish. We had a lot of options to choose from but I chose to work at my host siblings school (mainly because it is close to my house). I assisted in teaching 3-5 year English which was super fun and rewarding.

  • We had to complete an extracurricular activity and I joined a club Ultimate Frisbee team comprised of mostly Spaniards and a few international students.

  • I signed up for a local gym with some friends and there I met more friends who I would eventually come to play soccer/futbol with every Saturday night. We also made friends with another study abroad travel organization from the University of Granada, where I made many more friends to chat and go out with.

  • Outside of my home, I attended some events of Erasmus Student Network, who I highly recommend for anyone trying to meet international students from other programs. We would meet up for tapas every Monday night, and they also sponsor trips for students. If you want to practice your Spanish, this group is also helpful.

  • Make the best of your time abroad and do Intercambio! Intercambio is offered in our program where you get partnered with a local to teach other English and Spanish. I regret not doing this. Also, spend time in Spain!! Don't travel other countries as much... And lastly, have fun!