Semester in Sevilla: all that I had hoped for Past Review
By Colleen D (Art History, Criticism and Conservation., Trinity University) for
CIEE: Seville - Liberal Arts
My study abroad experience was the the best experience of my life. I discovered that I am happiest in sitautions where I am constantly challeneged with new opporunities and meeting new people. I have also become more self-reliant. I realized I am interested in elarning more languages and hope to work and live abroad after graduation.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was a great resource for the students abroad. They did a great job of creating opportunities for students, as well as academic and personal guidance. I did think that the program was too large though to adequately accomodate all the student needs. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I couldn't have been happier with my living situation abroad. My host mother treated me as family. I was very pleased with the location of my apartment--it was in the heart of th city and close to anywhere i needed to go. I enjoyed the food--I never cooked in the house. I was also pleased that I didn't ahve any kind of curfew of rules to follow. We became good friends and spent a lot of time talking--a great way to learn the language. |
| * Food: |
Although i was most always pleased with the food--my host mom was a great cook--it was hard to adjust to the diet sometimes. They eat few vegetables than I usually do and portions were larger (as they like to spoil American students). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The porgram offered a lot in the way of field trips and cultural learning opportunities. I really enjoyed the interest groups which allowed me to learn about the Spain and its neighboring countires, and included an all expenses paid trip to Lisbon, Portugal. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent more than anticipated, mainly because of my own personal shopping problem. However, I would rate Sevilla to be a modestly priced city. Food and transportation costs were fairly low. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Beware of taxi drivers trying to charge you more than they should (especially going to/from the airport). |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
All classes were taugt in Spanish. Also, few people speak English in Sevilla. I found this to be a great way to learn the language. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | To get the mosty out of theis program, you should be fairly independent and willing to make the most of your time abroad. Try to meet new people and get to know the city!!! The program was too large to really accomodate all stufdent needs and get everyone involved, so its important that you are willing to do this on your own! |
