Past Review
By Michelle B (Marketing, Spanish, Providence College) for
CIEE: Seville - Business + Society
Before studying abroad, I had never traveled alone or been to a foreign country where English is rarely spoken. After being in Spain and traveling around Europe/Morocco, I have seen and done things that some people never have the chance to do in their life. Also, I have realized that I definitely am interested in a career that will further my spanish level and will allow me to utilize the language on a regular basis.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad de Sevilla |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
although the grading system is meant to help students that are studying abroad, I found it difficult that the classes normally only consisted of a mid-term and final. The professors were very helpful and understanding and willing to help you. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
considering the size of the program, the administration was very helpful and understanding of our needs. The administration staff answered any questions we had and gave us useful information about the host country and any cultural differences we might experience |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a senora (single host mother about 62) and her dog. We lived in an apartment complex in Nervion and only a 5 minute walk from the futbol stadium. My host had 3 kids and 3 grandkids so there were usually others around the apartment as well. <br /><br /> My housing was in a great area, although it could be up to a 30 minute walk to class some days depending on where the class was in the city. Also, it was outside of the center of Sevilla and the nightlife but was a nice and very safe part of the city and less crowded with Americans, making it easier to interact with locals. My host provided everything including food, sheets and room essentials. The only things I had to buy were personal items like a hairdryer. She treated me as part of the family and was always trying to interact and talk about things. |
| * Food: |
the food my host provided was amazing! she was always cooking something new and preparing everything from scratch. She always made sure my plate was full and never left hungry. Sevilla is full of tapas (appetizers) restaurants and the center has some of the best ones around. There's one place called Cien Montaditos that serves bite-size sandwiches for 1 euro on wednesdays. |
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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: |
Sevilla was an extremely safe city both during the day and night. As long as you use yoru common sense you will be fine. I did not have any health related problems during my stay but those who did said my program was very helpful in directing them where to go. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Although living in Sevilla or Spain in generall can be fairly inexpensive, the nightlife and weekends full of traveling can be very expensive. I wish the program had given us a better idea of how expensive the overall nightlife would be for students. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
since most people in Sevilla speak very little or no english, I had to use spanish everyday. The program also provided multiple oportunities to improve your language skills through workshops, day trips around Sevilla/Spain, and organized events set up for American students and local Spanish students. |
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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