Sevilla: Whether inside or outside the classroom, the learning never stops Past Review
By Jessica R (Spanish Language and Literature., Trinity University) for
CIEE: Seville - Liberal Arts
YES! I plan on going abroad again because of this!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The 1-10 point grading scale was a little hard to adujust to, and the workload was often a lot, but overall it was worth it. I learned an incredible amount while abroad. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The onsite staff was AMAZING. Nancy, Olga, and the whole team could not have done more to make me feel welcome and at ease. They knew how to get things done and get them done quickly. They also made themselves avaliable to students so that we felt comfortable talking to them. They were clearly knowlegeble about and had spent time in American higher education institutions, and as such, were able to explain our Spanish education in terms we could relate to. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The food was terrible. The internet was also really bad. Aside from that, the staff was friendly and the students wonderful. I found a home there! |
| * Food: |
It was pretty awful. Be prepared to have snacks in your room for when you just can't wat the food anymore. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was in a class about the history of Spain that, in the second half of class, took students around Sevilla to exemplify the concepts discussed in class. To have an incredibly smart and obviously passionate professor explain the history of the city to you- that was an unforgettably wonderful experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Sevilla is very safe, I felt good about walking home very late at night. In terms of healthcare, CIEE is very good. My roommate was diagnosed with Diabetes while abroad, and CIEE really helped with facilitating all of the doctors and healthcare necessities. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | TOO MUCH! It is hard not to spend. I recommend setting a budget for yourself, or else you run the risk of running out of money. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Food, mostly. I spent much more on it than I would have liked. Just make sure you have enough money for food & trips & souveniers, plus some extra. It sounds excessive, but you will use it. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most of the students spoke english, but I was lucky enough to find a group of friends who was throughly dedicated to learning Spanish and because of this, I was able to improve drastically. The teachers always made us write and speak in Spanish, and Spanish was required while at the CIEE center and on all CIEE sponsored trips/activities. Spanish is a necessity in Sevilla. People there tend to speak only Spanish and as such, you have to use it daily. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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