Segovian Semester de mis sueños (of my dreams) Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Taught thought-provoking and meaningful content by native Spaniard collegiate professors. Perhaps the most impactful part of our classes was that the material was tailored to us; even though the professors have taught their content for a long time, they adapted to what our program group was interested in, what our specific language and cultural needs and interests were, and they challenged us uniquely.

On-site administration of your program

Upon arrival, we were greeted and began orientation of the city and important places, such as host families, school, pharmacies, banks, and we walked through how to get settled in. It was helpful having Segovians walk us around and introduce us to Segovia, because it is their home. They thought of questions we probably would have, and showed us how to get them answered. There was time built into our schedule those first couple of weeks for accomplishing practical, daily life tasks, as well as for exploring and simply being in awe of our new home.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

This was perhaps my favorite aspect of my time abroad; being completely immersed and welcomed into a Spanish family was an unrivaled experience. My family welcomed me as their own, stretched me to grow and see new perspective and new culture. Of course, everyone's experiences are different, but I learned that you often times get out what you put in, meaning that investing time and energy into building relationships with my host family turned out to be so rich and valuable, and easily the most impactful part of my time in Spain.

Food in Spain is FRESH - the meals are riquísimo (very, very rich and delicious!). I was blown away by the fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and bread we had consistently. I was a mildly picky-eater prior to Spain, but wanted to challenge myself to at least try every new food (which was a lot!), and I was very pleasantly surprised with what I found! There is a wide variety throughout Spain, although Segovian specialties are quite easy to find (and love!).

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It is always difficult entering into a new culture and immersing yourself, but two factors made that process easier and effective: living with host families and having an internship. I was able to build connections with my family, who would invite me to cultural events/family celebrations or meals as if I was truly part of the family. I also participated in an internship at a local bilingual school, where I consistently saw the same students and worked with the same teacher during my time in Segovia. It made me feel at home when I saw my students walking around town, and they were excited to see me and share their life and culture with me.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I personally did not have any health issues during my time abroad, aside from a common cold that lasted for about a week. During that time, my host mom went above and beyond to make sure I was taken care of, had any and all medicine I could want or need, and unrelentingly provided me with lemon and honey tea to help soothe my throat. I assisted other students, when similar colds/illnesses were caught, and the pharmacy and local supermarkets had many of the same/similar products that we have in the U.S., so I did not have any trouble finding what I needed or asking Ricardo for help, if need be.

Again, I was pleasantly surprised by Segovia's safety. I would often see little kids playing in the main plaza at nearly midnight, when I was returning home. There are many lit streets, and CEHS does a great job during our orientation of preparing us for safety-related situations in regards to Segovia. We learned where important places are to go for help, and we had the U.S. Embassy come and speak with us about our rights as American students studying abroad, what they do to help us, and gave us helpful information from state.gov and other tip-lines specifically for Spain or other places we chose to travel to.

I was thoroughly supported and challenged during my time in Segovia, thanks to CEHS. I felt part of the culture, and left a big piece of my heart in Spain!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Our program cost covers all meals (with the host family), transportation, cultural and social activities, and lodging on trips, meaning that the only money I spent was what I chose to spend on coffees with amigos (which, unfortunately, did add up!) and gifts for family/friends back home.

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

Full immersion! It was wonderful and is hands-down the best way to learn. You get out of it what you put in, but if you stick to Spanish and do your best, you will without a doubt see much improvement.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Host Family
• Trips/Viajes
• Internship

• Re-Entry Preparation/Coaching

The Academic or Linguist