Studying Abroad in Sevilla, Spain: An Unforgettable Experience Past Review

By Abigail Gardener (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/17/2018 to 05/11/2018 with

CIEE: Seville - Liberal Arts

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

One of the greatest things I gained from abroad was increased language skills. I spoke Spanish with my host family, and all my classes were in Spanish, meaning all my readings and assignments were in Spanish as well. I know if I had not gone abroad and immersed myself in Spanish culture, my Spanish would not have improved to the extent it did if I had simply continued to take classes at Brandeis. I also know that living with such an amazing Spanish host family was a once in a lifetime experience. Finally, one of the things I learned from abroad was that I have a passion for traveling and learning about other cultures, and I know that whatever I do in my future I want to continue to pursue those passions.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	CIEE offers classes through CIEE only with other students on the program, classes with American students from other programs at the Universidad de Sevilla, and direct enrollment courses with other Spanish students at the Universidad de Sevilla. I took a combination of the first two, and although I enjoyed all my classes (and they were also all in Spanish) I felt more challenged and more engaged by my CIEE classes. I liked the material I was learning at my university classes, but I felt that the professors were not as engaging or as passionate about the material. With my CIEE courses, I always felt like my professors couldn't wait to share their knowledge, and were excited to answer any question we had.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	I was always satisfied with CIEE and the staff! Orientation was smooth and informative, and I enjoyed the activities and weekend trips that CIEE offered us.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Of course this will be different for everyone, but I stayed with a host family and it was one of the highlights of my experience. CIEE did a great job of matching me with my family according to what I said was important to me in my housing questionnaire. My family was kind and considerate, and my room was clean and comfortable. They went above and beyond to make sure I felt like part of their family; I consistently hung out and watched TV with them, and my host parents would often talk with me about the history of the city and give me recommendations for things to do, both in Sevilla and in other places I traveled. I cannot recommend staying with a host family enough!
* Food:	When you stay with a host family like I did, they provide three meals a day for you. As I said before, my host family was fantastic, and that was partially because my host dad enjoys cooking. He made every meal we ate, and they were all delicious and authentic! He would even make me sandwiches for the airport on weekends I traveled. And in general, when I didn't eat at home, the tapas scene in Sevilla is awesome!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Because I stayed with a host family, I felt fairly integrated with the local culture from the start. They helped me become acquainted with local customs and norms. I attended Fería, a week-long fair in which Sevillanos get dressed up in traditional flamenco attire and eat, drink, and dance. My host sister loaned me a dress and I was able to visit their personal tent (called a caseta) at the fair. I definitely felt like I was able to experience the culture as more than just a tourist. My group of friends who were also on the program made friends with some Spanish students as well, but I never felt as much a part of the Spanish culture with them as I did with my host family.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I rated this 5 stars simply because I did not have any direct experience with the healthcare system in Sevilla (other than buying over the counter medicines from the pharmacies), so I can't speak from a specific experience.
* Safety:	I never felt unsafe in Sevilla! As long as you take the kinds of precautions one would take anywhere (not walking home late alone, making sure to drink alcohol safely when going out, etc.) incidents are not likely to happen. I remember the Director of Student Life told us during her safety presentation that one of the actual biggest threats to our safety was not looking both ways before crossing the street, since streets can be narrow in Sevilla and many people zoom down them on scooters. All this to say that I was never worried about my safety in the city.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I was very satisfied with my program! Because it was a liberal arts program, I was able to take classes that went towards my Anthropology degree, plus they were in Spanish, which really helped me to improve and practice throughout the semester. I also liked that CIEE offered so many optional activities and weekend trips. Since they were included in the program fees, they were always fun to take advantage of.

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)	Most of my expenses were covered by the CIEE program fees and tuition. My meals were provided by my host family, and they also did my laundry for me. So the only things I had to worry about spending money on were travel and going out for food or drinks, and occasionally public transport (I took the bus sometimes, but most of the time walking was how I got around the city). So for me, it was fairly easy to live on a student's budget, because I decided what I wanted to spend my money on.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	If I stayed only in Sevilla for the entire week (including weekend) probably 50 euros or less a week. If I traveled on the weekend, 100-200 euros a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Book your weekend trips at the beginning of the program! This way you'll have all your plane tickets/train tickets bought, and that money is gone from your bank account right at the beginning. So you can estimate how much money you'll have to spend on food and accommodations.

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?	Spanish 105
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?	Use it as much as you can in the opportunities that present themselves. For example, even simple things like ordering at a restaurant or cafe. Also, even just listening helps! I wasn't always participating in conversations with my host family, but being around them so much and listening to them talk to each other helped me to learn the colloquialisms.

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	Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Host family CIEE-organized weekend trips and activities Classes in Spanish
* What could be improved?	Better integration into Universidad de Sevilla classes Offering activities at a wider range of times Intercambio program
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Honestly, there's nothing I can think of that I wish I knew before going; I felt as prepared as I could have been before leaving, and just had to adjust to being abroad and its challenges as time went by.

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 Linguist You 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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Culture and Cuisine in Spain
Course Department:	Anthropology/Sociology
Instructor:	Angel de Quinta
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	This course was my absolute favorite and another highlight of abroad for me. Although of course it helped that there were tastings of foods that we learned about (such as chocolate, wine, ham, and olive oil), my professor Angel made the course. He was funny, knowledgeable, and engaging. I was always excited to go to class because I knew Angel would make the hour and 45 minutes a fun time. And not only was he a fun professor, he challenged me as well; of all the other professors I had, Angel graded the most harshly for grammar. This annoyed me at first, but in the end I appreciated it, because he helped me to improve the most with my written Spanish.
Credit Transfer Issues: