Studying abroad in Spain helped me find myself, discovering an inner independance I never know I had Past Review
By Kelsey A (Therapeutic Recreation, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) for
API (Academic Programs International): Seville - Universidad de Sevilla
SOOOOO worth it. Loved every minute of it and can't wait to get back there!!!!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were really easy. I learned so much more just living there daily life. Most of my courses consisted of attendance, a midterm, a paper, and a final exam. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
A little unorganized and not all representative could speak english well enough if you absolutely needed a point to be made and understood, but it was a learning process and API offered a lot for your money. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mom is my second mother. She was beyond wonderful. I can't imagine anyone else, she gave us the freedom we deserved, but kept us 'close to home', letting us explore her family and social life with her. We learned so much from her and got to experience real spanish life with her. |
| * Food: |
I wasn't a fan of their food, although I tried it all. Just too bland and salty for me. But not horrible, I took home a lot of recipes that I loved. I wasn't a fan of soup or olive oil, which they are big on. It was more personal preference more than anything. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt completely safe. I walked home alone several times. Spanish men are way pushier and more aggressive, but I never felt threatened. Sevilla is a pretty safe city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The program required us to speak to eachother in spanish, which helped a lot! Plus living with a host family made it a part of my daily life. I gained a lot of confidence and learned a lot from them. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Study abroad. ANywhere. It's so worth the money and hassles, setbacks and let downs. the pay off is ten-fold. You won't regret it. By far the best experience of my life and changed me in so many positive ways. I loved it! |
