Sevilla, best city in Spain Past Review
By A student (Marketing., University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 01/14/2013 to 05/18/2013 with
API (Academic Programs International): Seville - Universidad Pablo de Olavide
Absolutely. It is worth the headaches of application forms, the meltdowns before leaving and the debts.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
API was fantastic. I just think that Spanish courses are less difficult than the typical American course. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
API is AWESOME. I do not have enough good things to say about them. They actually care about you. For example, one of my program advisors sat down for a 1/2 hour and wrote things to do, places to eat and sights to see in addition to a map when I was going to Barcelona. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was slightly far for the city center, which made it difficult to meet up with people quickly. However, I had my own room and a loving host mom. So that made up for it. |
| * Food: |
I don't like ham or mystery meats. The med. cooking style was tasty with the lentils and fresh salads. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I did a lot of outside traveling, but I did stay in my city for a month and a half at the end of the program and felt very immersed in the local culture. I wish I would have made more of an effort to make spanish friends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
It was really easy. I had a sinus infection and I went to the doctor, waited maybe five minutes and then got it. The only thing I have a complaint about it that they "speak english". They can speak broken english so you can sort of understand the diagnosis but its quite hard to truly understand. |
| * Safety: |
Sevilla is quite safe in relation to other big cities that size. That being said, if you are a female walking home alone at night or with one or two other girls you NEED to get a cab. That or find a guy that lives near you. Have the cab driver bring you to your door. I had two friends that had scary experiences. |
| 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) |
If you are just in the city you will spend maybe 50 euros a week on food and drinks. If you travel, beware. That's when you spend a lot of money. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | First class of advanced Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | MAKE FRIENDS WITH LOCALS. Live with a host family. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Request a host family with kids or younger parents. Maybe a host family that was able to speak english as well. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
