Spain is Different, but an Awesome Different! Past Review
By Paige Z (Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Seville, Spain
Of course! If you have the chance to study abroad, do it! I have gained so much knowledge about living in a new country and being surrounded by a world of cultures. I am excited for what the future brings and hope to learn more about all different parts of the world. I have learned far too much to discuss on paper but am excited about the amazing experiences I have gained from my time studying abroad.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | CEA Global Campus and Universidad Pablo de Olavide |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My workload was definitely more than I expected for studying abroad but nothing close to the amounts of homework I receive at home. I think a large part of the smaller workload had to do with the fact that I wasn't taking major courses, which are the ones I find myself focusing the most in. I found that the grading system here in Spain is much different than back home. Not only do they score based on a scale of 1-10, but they score lower than I would've expected. The assignments are usually never given with an exact prompt which leaves a lot of room for confusion. It seemed as if we just needed to fulfill the few requirements explained but after receiving a grade, we learned that there was much more to it than that. I found some classes to be very similar to GE courses taught back home but any teacher, no matter if they're American or Spanish, will have different methods of teaching and/or grading. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It was easy to get in contact with any CEA faculty. They were always of much help and were happy to guide us into having the best experiences abroad. My expectations were definitely met. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
I cooked my own food so I can't complain one bit! And when we didn't feel like cooking, we went to Cien Montaditos- our favorite restaurant in all of Spain! So delicious and cheap! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I am so happy we were able to take excursions with the program. My favorite planned trip was to Portugal. I am not sure if I would have gone on my own and it was definitely worth it! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I thought the city was very safe. When you are being smart, you shouldn't be at risk for scary situations. I never had to go to the hospital but I knew some friend who were sick and were taken there immediately. The faculty stayed with them and allowed for comfort in a situation that may have been scary otherwise. |
| 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 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I could practice my language with anyone I wanted. My roommates were all American but I could practice with any of them, no matter our language level. I did not stay in a home stay but that would've been the best way to improve in my Spanish. For the most part, I could get by without using the language if I stayed in my apartment, but in order to do anything outside of my house, the interactions would be in Spanish. I did not come across many English speakers but I also never wanted them to speak to me in English as I came over here to learn their language, not the other way around. If you plan on learning a lot about a language, I would suggest going to a smaller city. In larger cities, there are more touristy attractions and much more English being spoken. It is quite simple to get by with speaking little to no Spanish in a larger city. |
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 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? | I would recommend this program to anyone! I have found that my experiences here will last a life time. The city I lived in was great and the Spanish culture was so real. I don't know if I would've survived a large city but Sevilla was great! It was a small city but not too small at all. If you are a student looking to learn the language and emerge yourself in the culture, please consider a smaller city like Sevilla. Studying abroad in larger cities is not for everyone, just as studying abroad in a smaller city is not for everyone. Consider what is most important for you as you study abroad and then decide which city size suits you best! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Beginning Spanish II |
| Course Department: | SPN102 |
| Instructor: | Ana Dosal |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | I love this class. It is early in the morning but the class gets me excited to go to school. Our teacher is amazing! I can tell she wants us to learn and has such an excitement for teaching. She is a great instructor and helps us with all of our questions. Although I struggle with understanding her sometimes, she speaks slowly enough that I can pick out most words. She knows when we all aren't aware of certain Spanish words and rather than continue with us still confused, she will explain to us what she just said. I had never been in a Spanish class where the instructor speaks Spanish and after being in this class, I have come to realize that the most important way to understand a different language is to listen. If I could not listen to her speak Spanish and comprehend what she was saying, how could I expect to speak the language on my own. It is great practice listening to her pronunciation of words! |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I didn't have any issues with transferring credits but that is because I worked hard in advance to get all my classes approved by my home university. I would definitely suggest the importance of getting classes pre-approved. Whether or not you are having the time of your life studying abroad, school is school, and you'll definitely want your classes to count! |
