Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Total cultural immersion Past Review

By (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/07/2012 to 05/19/2012 with

CIEE: Seville - International Business & Culture

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a lot of confidence in myself, I improved my Spanish speaking abilities greatly, and I am more independent.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: University of Pablo de Olavide
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

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* 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)

* 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? $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Save for travel!

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? Intermediate
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? First level of Spanish
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 sure to find a local student from that city who wants to learn English and help each other learn each other's languages. AKA language exchange buddy.

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

  • 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?
  • I liked that we had the freedom to choose what we wanted to do while we were studying in the country. We could travel and come and go as we pleased.
* What could be improved?
  • I wish that we had gotten more information prior to arriving in Spain. We all pretty much arrived not knowing much about anything, for example, we didn't know who or where we were going to live and what classes we were taking.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known more about the city and its traditions and customs before arriving, so I would have been more prepared on how to act and behave.