Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Seville Past Review

By (Berea College) - abroad from 01/20/2012 to 05/19/2012 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Seville, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about myself and Spanish culture, and my Spanish improved greatly. Definitely a worthwhile experience.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: CEA Seville Campus (University of New Haven); University of Seville
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Nice people, but I was disappointed that they weren't more "inclusive" on outings.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Finances

* 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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? No
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50-$100/wk.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
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? SPN 310
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? Find ways to get involved in the community.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • My host family
  • My intercambio
  • Experiencing and living in a different culture.
* What could be improved?
  • Difficult to say.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew the "type" of students that would be accepted into the program... I found it difficult to connect with other students because most seemed primarily interested in drinking and clubs and not necessarily connecting with the culture.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Keys to Spanish Vocabulary
Course Department: Spanish
Instructor: Jerry
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: By far the most helpful class for my Spanish that I attended all semester. I ALWAYS looked forward to this class!
Credit Transfer Issues: I won't know until the fall...
Course Name/Rating:

History of Spain
Course Department: History
Instructor: Dan
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Challenging. Learned a LOT of information and felt like I was pushed to a new level of understanding of the topic. The class required a lot of self motivation, which I tend to prefer, and I feel like my hard work paid off in the end.
Credit Transfer Issues: Won't know until the fall.
Course Name/Rating:

Intermediate Spanish
Course Department: Spanish
Instructor: Samuel
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: I honestly didn't feel like I grew as much as I would've liked with this class... Some material was challenging, but it didn't feel like there was enough review to let it sink in. I used all the materials available for review, and didn't fully grasp everything...
Credit Transfer Issues: I won't know until the fall...
Course Name/Rating:

Teaching Tongues
Course Department: Education
Instructor: Mary Alice
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The student teaching we were able to do with this class was probably my most valuable experience thus far in my education major.
Credit Transfer Issues: I won't know until the fall.