A Glimpse of Andalusian Spanish Culture Past Review
By A student (Public Relations, Advertising, Applied Communication, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/07/2015 to 05/23/2015 with
CIEE: Seville - International Business & Culture
I learned about the different cultures/traditions that exist among the autonomous regions of Spain; the economic & political problems it was facing at the time; an understanding of what it feels to be a foreigner; and how to adapt to change.
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. |
Most courses used outdated textbooks that, in some aspects, weren't relevant to today's business world. Printing at the university's "copisteria" would take a long time as customer service in Spain is almost non-existent. |
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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 very understanding of my wanting to travel and go out while I was abroad. My host mom had no curfews; she just wanted to know whether I'd be home for meals so she'd know whether to prepare them. |
| * Food: |
The food is great! It's also very healthy and made with mostly natural ingredients. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Being an advanced Spanish speaker, I definitely felt more integrated with the culture than my peers did. However, I wish the affiliate program would have organized more events to promote integration. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Figuring out insurance abroad was too much of a hassle, so I opted for visiting pharmacies and getting diagnosed there instead. Medicine is really cheap (and effective) in Spain! |
| * Safety: |
Lots of cat-calling, but nothing physical. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
All meals were included in the program fee. Most of my expenses consisted of shopping or eating out when I traveled on weekends. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 -- occasionally eating out and shopping |
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 |
Compared to CIEE's other programs in Seville, Spain, the IBCP program wasn't really pushed to use the language as much. For most students, Spanish was really only used at home-stays or extracurricular activities. |
| 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? | Advanced Spanish Grammar & Composition |
| 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? | Sign up for an "intercambio" and for any events that allow you to meet Spanish students. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 would have known that UPO was considered a joke by the locals. I would always be asked why I wasn't taking my classes at the University of Sevilla instead. I also wish I would have known that the "advanced" Spanish classes abroad were actually intermediate, by U.S. standards. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
