Great time (especially w/ host family) in Seville with some academic challenges Past Review
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/17/2018 to 06/09/2018 with
CIEE: Seville - Advanced Liberal Arts
I gained an ability to use spanish more fluently and express myself more clearly in spanish. I also gained a lot of problem solving skills in my time in Spain as well. I'm so so so glad I went and it was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses I took at CIEE were good, but CIEE was terrible at communicating with the local university, and caused many scheduling problems as well as problems with access to resources from the local university. Additionally, when I went to get help for my local university courses through CIEE, they were also not helpful and often patronizing. I did not thoroughly enjoy my local university courses, but was glad I had the opportunity to have that kind of immersive experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was absolutely incredible and were the highlight of my experience abroad. They were so welcoming to me, brought me into their family like one of their own, and helped me learn about Spain and spanish a caring and supportive way. They were amazing and I cannot say enough good things about them |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The city always felt pretty safe to me, but you should be aware of your belongings because petty theft is more common there than in the US (like in much of the rest of the world) |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would because they had good classes in themselves and connected with my host family whom I love, BUT I would be VERY wary of the amount I use CIEE as a resource with the local university, because they gave me issues in that regard. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 dollars |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you enjoy being with your host family, eat with them as much as you can!! Save money and have some good immersive experience |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| 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? | Highest level offered at Brandeis |
| 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? | Make friends with locals! I didn't do that too much, and I regret it. It would have been another way for me to use my Spanish |
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? |
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 a better idea of what the local university courses would look like, because I did not feel prepared to participate and did not realize early enough that I would have to study consistently on my own throughout the semester for a single test 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 Avid AdventurerThe 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. |
