Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Amazing Semester in Sevilla Past Review

By (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 01/17/2012 to 05/20/2012 with

Centro Mundo Lengua: Summer and Semester Programs in Spain for College & University Students

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
So much...obviously improved my Spanish language skills, but also learned about European culture, history, and traveling within Europe.

Review Photos

Mundolengua Photo Mundolengua Photo Mundolengua Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Very friendly and very available to help out.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Not always the best homestays the first time around, but the company did a great job the 2nd time. Switching homestays was very simple and could be done quickly if necessary.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Not extremely easy to integrate with the Spaniards, but that was the case for most study abroad students. However, there are opportunities available to do so

* 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? Yes

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)

Depends on how much traveling you want to do. Seville is not all that expensive, but other places might be.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? some weeks less than 50, other weeks over 100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Look around for cheap flights! Leave room for some flexibility and, especially with RyanAir, scroll from day to day because prices vary quite a bit. (However, make sure you know where the airports are, because some are not actually located in the city and you will need to pay for a shuttle, i.e. Milan Bergamo)

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? Advanced
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? HISP 305
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? Learn different verb tenses and understand grammar, but there's no way to learn all of the vocab you'll eventually need...that'll come during the semester.

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
  • International Students
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?
  • trips to Barcelona/Morocco and visits in Sevilla
  • helpful teachers and employees at the office (helpful orientation session and available during the semester)
  • good balance of classes, program activities and free time
* What could be improved?
  • even more opportunities to meet Spaniards (or at different times)
  • internet guaranteed/included at all homestays
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The metro costs almost 1 Euro each way, and the metro is necessary to get to school. Also, if you happen to have a problem with the homestay, let someone know because switching was not difficult.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

English/Spanish Translation
Course Department:
Instructor: Verónica Pacheco
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It was great! Fun, relaxed environment and we learned a lot about how to effectively translate. We also learned many new words, idioms, and colloquial phrases during class.
Credit Transfer Issues: No