Studying Abroad in Seville: Why I Wish I Would've Stayed in America Past Review
By Kali Smith (Oklahoma State University - Stillwater) - abroad from 09/05/2018 to 12/19/2018 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Seville, Spain
I did learn a lot of problem-solving skills. There were many times where I had to learn a new bus system or subway system in a really quick period of time in order to not miss my ride. I also had to get out of my comfort zone a lot and actually ask people for directions or how to do something. This really put my Spanish skills to the test if I was in an area where no one spoke English. I think one of the coolest things I experienced was the vast difference between European cultures. Not only differences between America and Europe, but even within European countries. I also feel like I walked away with a much greater sense of independence. I couldn't call home every time something went wrong, so I had to figure a lot of things out for myself. I also found out I love traveling alone, something I would have never even considered 6 months ago. It just feels very liberating and fills me with pride that I could be dropped off in a random place and could navigate my way around without panicking.
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. |
My classes taught in English were stupidly easy. It was mostly busy work, that goes for Spanish-taught classes as well. The Spanish classes were a little bit more challenging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff actually in Seville was pretty unorganized and not super helpful, especially with academics. They kept referring me back to the Arizona office. However, a couple of the staff members were really friendly, especially when I had real concerns about my host family. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I hated my host family. They made me feel extremely unwelcome, they wouldn't practice Spanish with me, we weren't allowed in the living room so there was no socialization, I kept getting in trouble for using the power strip in my room because my laptop charger was too strong for the outlet, the food was HORRIBLE and there were at least 3 times when we found maggots in our food, we had to do our own dishes (which no one else was allowed to do in their home), I just really did not like where I lived. |
| * Food: |
I think I liked a total of two meals while I was at home. Everything else was way too oily, like pools of oil. Also like I mentioned above, I found maggots in my food multiple times. We also ate the same things almost every day: a plain pork sandwich with a mystery vegetable soup or deconstructed tortilla with hot dogs. When I first told my host mom I didn't like something, she was extremely offended and kind of threw a fit. I never told her I didn't like something again. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I had zero Spanish friends. None. I think I met 4 Spanish people? But they never wanted to talk or hang out with me, they just had a crush on my roommate and wanted to hang out with her. All my classes were with Americans, even at the Spanish university. The intercambio program was not effective at all. I had an intercambio partner from CEA who never responded to my messages. I also had an intercambio partner from the Spanish university who bailed the last minute when I tried to meet up with her. I finally gave up trying. The intercambio sessions put on by CEA were also not great. It was like 5 Americans to 1 Sevillano, sometimes the ratio was even worse. The activities weren't really that fun and we ALWAYS spoke English the whole time. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
In my neighborhood specifically, I felt extremely safe at all hours of the day. I never felt uncomfortable walking around alone at night. However, in the city center where most of the shopping happens, I would feel a little bit more uneasy. Also I heard of a few people getting their phones stolen. Also men would occasionally cat call at you, but that didn't happen too often in Seville. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
The program was unorganized from the start. I didn't feel adequately prepared. Things got worse when I missed orientation because my flight was delayed an extra day. I didn't like how much I was surrounded by Americans, and it was extremely difficult to meet locals. |
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) |
In Seville, food and drinks were pretty cheap, but traveling was not as cheap as everyone made it out to be. Yes, train tickets and bus tickets and plane tickets are cheap, but when you start looking at food and lodging and activities and souvenirs, it really starts to add up. I probably spent at least $500 a week. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $500 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Book your trips early and stick to a set budget. Scrambling last minute for plane tickets or AirBnBs was a little pricey. Also, don't travel every weekend if you want to save money. One way I saved money on one of my trips was by buying groceries and cooking for myself. This prevented me from spending too much at restaurants. |
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 was surrounded by Americans 95% of the time. The only time I ever spoke Spanish was with my host family, which was very minimal, maybe 5 times a week, and when going to restaurants. Many restaurants had English menus and waiters were eager to practice their English with you, but there were a handful that spoke exclusively in Spanish. I also had two Spanish classes. |
| 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? | Intermediate 2 |
| 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? | Try to express to your host family (if you have one) that you want to practice your language skills. Also try and force yourself to speak the language in public, even if they respond to you in English. Respond back in their language anyway. I would also recommend trying to find something equivalent to intercambios or language clubs or something like that where you can practice with other locals. Also definitely watch shows or movies in the language you want to learn but with English subtitles. That really improved my listening skills. |
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? | 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? | I wish I had known that I was going to hate the food. I tried a multitude of tapas and Spanish meals, but only walked away with a handful of favorites. I also wish I would have known that the other living situations were much more suited for me. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
