Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Quaint Segovia Past Review

By (Bethel University) - abroad from 08/29/2019 to 12/13/2019 with

Centro de Estudios Hispánicos de Segovia (CEHS): Semester Programs

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a better use of the language and a much deeper understanding of Spain's history and culture.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The course work is well adjusted to individual student's needs and Spanish abilities. Classes are small enough that each student can get the help they need. The amount of work given out is not that much, but we dove deep into the concepts that we addressed and were challenged to think critically.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration is smooth, courses were easy to transfer into my home institution.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Food obviously depends on the host family that you have, but accommodations to allergies is possible. I am personally dairy and gluten free. Some restaurants are not as aware in Europe of allergy needs so be careful, but the host families are fantastic at adjusting. Overall the food is very healthy and delicious.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Living with a family and doing an internship are easy ways to get in contact with the culture. there were also free Salsa lesson nights and two other universities in the city which meant that there were lots of opportunities to bump into and get to know other Spaniards. I found my internship is where I grew in my Spanish and knowledge about the culture the most. We also had Spanish-English interchanges with students in the city which can be a great way to get to know people right off the bat. You do have to chase this down a little bit and be intentional since it can be easy just to stick to the School's group.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The health care is similar to the US. There was only one instance of a bad cold our whole trip and the doctors were able to get her in quickly and get her the medicine she needed. She felt better two days later!

* Safety:

It honestly felt safer than my home town, which is rural and tiny. I had no qualms about walking streets late at night alone.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

The program is well organized, the trips are both educational and fun, and I was extremely interested in Spanish so I was extremely excited about speaking Spanish all the time.

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)

Living is a little cheaper in Spain and I found I was able to do everything that I wanted to for reasonable prices. Coffee was a very popular purchase and we would go to different cafes each day to do homework without breaking my budget.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? somewhere between 20-30 dollars each week if I average it. Some weeks I spent only a couple Euros.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you want to save money and still get to see other countries, book tickets farther in advance for free travel days. Portugal is worth checking out and way cheaper to take a bus than fly somewhere further away in Europe.

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

All of our classes were in Spanish and we had an assistant who encouraged us to speak in Spanish 24/7 except 2 hours a week that were pre-designated.

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? a 300 level history class in Spanish
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? Spend time with students from the other Universities in Segovia.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • 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 classes were truly incredible and thought provoking. Far better than any classes I have taken in the U.S. the professors are fantastic at guiding discussions without judgement
* What could be improved?
  • More variety of sites when visiting other cities. We mostly visited cathedrals. I would have loved to visit artisans, art museums, tastings, or seen plays in other cities.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish that I had felt freer to explore on my own. By the end I got much more comfortable going to events on my own, but there are still a million things even in Segovia that I still would have wanted to see.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.