Sevilla, una maravilla! Past Review
By A student (International and Global Studies, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/13/2015 to 06/13/2015 with
CIEE: Seville - Advanced Liberal Arts
I gained a better understanding of the language and Spanish culture in general. I would consider it an invaluable experience and one of the best experiences I have had to date.
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 University of Sevilla's system is less rigorous than the system at Brandeis and I felt that the classes weren't as challenging as I would have hoped. But I had great exposure to the language and got to meet other Spanish students. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CIEE in Sevilla is very helpful and I felt comfortable going to them with any issue I had with my home stay or the university. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The program did an excellent job pairing students with their host families. My host family made my experience unforgettable and I am still in touch with them! |
| * Food: |
If you are a vegetarian, you may have trouble in a home stay but there are many dining options in the city. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I experienced complete immersion, especially since my family didn't speak any english. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any issues, there are pharmacies to address less urgent issues and the program has an emergency number to call if necessary. |
| * Safety: |
I felt incredibly safe in the city, even when I was walking alone at night. |
| 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) |
It was fairly easy, since most food and living expenses were taken care of beforehand when living in a home stay. The cost of living is much cheaper in Sevilla than in America and we went as a time when the euro was at an all-time low. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100, travel was the most expensive. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Book your big trips ahead of time and save a bit of spending money for each one. |
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 |
The goal was to use the language as much as possible, even when conversing with American friends. |
| 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? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 106 at Brandeis, an intermediate writing intensive course |
| 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? | Watch TV in the language, the news is especially helpful or a soap opera with your host family. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had known about the extreme temperature change there, it was freezing in the beginning and about 110 degrees at the end. |
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.' |
