Living La Vida Sevilla Past Review
By Paige P (Marketing., Miami University) - abroad from 09/02/2014 to 12/19/2014 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Seville, Spain
I learned more this semester than I have so far in my college career. I learned about many new cultures and ways of living. I not only learned more about myself but also the person I wish to become. My travels, experiences and connects I made abroad are worth a lifetime. My perspective on the United States has definitely gotten smaller. There is so much more to experience all over the world! My thirst for travel has only become stronger. One lesson I took away from studying abroad was to roll with it the flow. When traveling to a new place, a new atmosphere, especially in another language, you are going to find it a tad more difficult to go about your everyday life. You will find yourself dealing with language barriers on a day-to-day basis. I gained some lovely advice from one of my professors in Sevilla and that is to just roll with it. It’s different, weird, and sometimes uncomfortable. But hey, it’s a new dawn, a new day and a new you so go out there and try something new. Just roll with it.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff at the CEA center in Sevilla do everything in the best interest of the students. They are extremely helpful and guide students in any direction they need. My professors at the CEA center were some of the best professors I have had in my college career. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There were three choices of living arrangements: Apartment, Home-stay and Casa de Sevilla. I stayed in Casa de Sevilla. I lived in an apartment with eight other girls in my program. We had a host mother, Lola, who lived above our apartment. Lola provided meals, laundry and cleaned for us. We interacted with her on a daily basis. I thought my living arrangement was the best of both worlds. I got the experience of living and interacting with a Spaniard while having my own freedom. I would highly recommend this option if you are looking for a home-stay type of feel but not 100%. |
| * Food: |
In my opinion, European food is a lot more fresh than it is in the United States. My host mother, Lola, provided excellent Spanish meals. I had typical Spanish dishes everyday, allowing me to adapt to the local food and eating habits. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt completely integrated with the local culture in Sevilla. Sevilla is not a very diverse town. Meaning, almost everyone who lives in Sevilla has been living there their whole life. I used Spanish everyday as I interacted with locals and a couple of my professors. The Sevillanos (people from Sevilla) are extremely relaxed and friendly. It was very fun and easy to make friends with the locals. If you really want to get the feel for the true dynamics of the Spanish culture, Sevilla is a lovely city to study in. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any experiences with the healthcare. But, from my knowledge and experiences with friends it was very accessible. A CEA staff member accompanied any student who needed healthcare or medical assistance. There were not any prevalent health issues in Spain. I did not need any vaccines specifically for this program. |
| * Safety: |
Sevilla is a very safe city. It is a city full with families of all ages. There are homeless people and gypsies around but as long as you are aware of your belongings, there should be no problems. Pickpocketing is more prevalent in Europe than in the United States, so I would recommend being careful with what you bring out. Make sure to not carry all of your money with you, leave some in a lock or safe place at your living arrangement. It is also wise to carry a purse with a zipper just to be safe. |
| 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) |
At first it seems difficult managing expenses. After a few weeks, it becomes easier. For me, it was difficult to not convert the Euro to the American dollar. Because the Euro is stronger, everything seems like it is more expensive when most times it is not. Sevilla is a very affordable city. I recommend to spend your money as you would if you were from the host country. I was given meals Monday through Saturday. Therefore, I ate out every Sunday. In Sevilla you can get a few tapas or a satisfying meal less than 10 euros. As far as traveling goes, if you research well, you will be able to find affordable flights and living arrangements in other cities and countries. I was on a very strict budget and I still traveled to over 6 other countries. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Overall in the four months I spent about $3,500 on traveling, transportation, flights, food, and other items. In general, I spent around $200 a week but that was including flights and traveling on the weekends. Depending on the city or country I would spend more or less as some places can be cheaper or more expensive. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Spend the money on traveling. I had many friends who still traveled a lot but also spent way too much money on clothes and gifts for other people. It is nice to get a little something from everywhere you go but there is no need to spend a fortune. Budget your expenses and be smart with your spending. |
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 |
I took two classes in English and the other two in Spanish. I used my Spanish day in and day out. |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I completed one 300 level course |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Find yourself a local to talk to and have conversations with. Most of the time, they will want to learn English too! Talking and conversation is the best way to learn a foreign language. When you are in a foreign country, take the advantage of learning the language. |
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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| 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? |
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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 wish I knew about international credit cards. When taking cash out of an ATM there will most likely be an ATM fee. The fee was only 5 euro every time but over the course of four months it adds up! Research banks like Charles Schwab to see what type of bank accounts are available for international travels. |
