Sevilla is awesome! Past Review
By Sarah C (Mathematics and Spanish, Clark University - Worcester) - abroad from 01/12/2015 to 05/08/2015 with
CIEE: Seville - Liberal Arts
I gained a lot of confidence in my Spanish. I also learned how to navigate in a foreign country on my own. It was definitely worthwhile!
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. |
I learned a lot and had interesting classes, but they were very easy and required minimal work. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There on-site administration were very helpful and always available for assistance. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It is difficult to leave the CIEE bubble and integrate with local sevillanos. I felt that CIEE tried to give us some opportunities to do so, it was more that most students in the program did not want to. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had to go to the doctor on three separate occasions, and CIEE set me up with a personal translator and always checked in with me afterwards. They made the process very smooth. |
| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
It all depends on how you want to spend your time abroad. If you live with a host family, you do not need to spend any extra money on food or housing. However, you will want to grab coffee or drinks with friends, which can add up quickly. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Book your trips ahead of time! That way you get the cheapest deals. |
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 |
My program constantly encouraged us to use the language, however, the majority of the students refused to speak Spanish outside, or sometimes even inside, of class. It was very frustrating. |
| 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 |
| 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? | Stay with a host family and direct enroll in a university class. |
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? | That it's a lot harder than it seems to connect with locals. You really have to push yourself to get out there and leave the American bubble. |
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! |
