Sevilla changed my life!! Past Review
By Stefanie P (Math, Providence College) for
API (Academic Programs International): Seville - Universidad de Sevilla
This experience was the best of my life so far and certainly the most unique. I gained an awareness of and confidence in my own abilities to create the life I truly want for myself. I can now better recognize and accept my desire for adventure and also realize what kind of people I would like to surround myself with. I also learned how to better communicate with new people and learn from them. Through them, I gained a new perspective on life, to look at it with the goal of enjoyment. Before it was much easier to be stuck in the world/life path that I was used to, but now it is easier to remember that the world is full of so many different types of people who can all teach you something and have something to offer. The world is huge and the options are just about endless. (As corny as all of this sounds...) Studying abroad has been an unforgettable, valuable, unique experience and I feel extremely grateful to have been able to take part in it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes that I chose to take were not very challenging, but that's not really where I was looking to be challenged during my time abroad. Living in Sevilla and learning about the culture and ways of life challenged me in ways I never thought possible and I believe I learned much more during that semester than I have during an average semester in America. That being said, I definitely could have taken one or two classes with Spaniards to add an extra challenge during class time. So I would recommend to not shy away from taking classes with Spaniards if you think you would enjoy it! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Before leaving for Spain, the API coordinators were extremely helpful and available with completing paperwork and answering any little questions I had about the experience. While in Sevilla, we had two main program leaders and they guided us the entire time there. I think they maintained a really good balance between being there for us and also allowing us to be independent and do our own things. They were really great, down-to-earth people and they made the experience even better. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was a young mother and her daughter. She provided everything I could ever possibly need. I shared a room with another American student and we both got to an extra glance into what life was really like there. We met all of our host mom's friends and family and got to share many great experiences with them as well. Our apartment had an amazing location right next to the bull fighting ring, on the river with a beautiful fifteen minute walk to class through the city center and also prime location in the middle of various nightlife areas. My host mom welcomed me to come and leave and enjoy the nightlife as I pleased. I am extremely grateful for everything she provided for me! We will be close for years to come and I felt welcomed as part of their family. |
| * Food: |
At first, it was a little hard to adjust to all of the bread and meat and lack of vegetables, but once I let go and just enjoyed it all, I now prefer the eating schedule and different foods that they have over there and miss it tremendously! There are soo many awesome tapas places to try in Sevilla. Talk to your host mom or local students to recommend or bring you to the good places. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
As far as the two vacation weeks in Sevilla, I enjoyed seeing semana santa, but you really only need one or two days to see it. I would have wanted to stay more for the feria holiday for at least a few days during the week and then travel on the weekends of that vacation time. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I thankfully did not have to use any health services and always felt extremely safe in Sevilla. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | For me, it was harder than I thought to stick to a budget. You just spend more than you ever would in a normal semester, which is uncomfortable in the beginning. ATM fees. I would just take out a ton of cash once or twice instead of getting charged ten bucks every time I took money out. Transportation to and within other cities/countries had some unexpected charges. So many bus/train tickets that I didn't anticipate having to spend money on. Also, I spent a good amount on food in other countries. |
Language
| 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?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Sevilla is a beautiful city with a lot of charm. There are tons of things to do and the people are always looking to have a great time. If you really want to improve your Spanish and learn about a culture, you'll be able to do that better here as opposed to other larger cities. Personally, I fell in love with the city, the culture, and the people and am so happy I chose to study abroad there with API. |
