Sevilla: The City that Made me the Person that I Want to Be Past Review
By Gillian I (Health Policy and Management and Spanish, Providence College) for
CIEE: Seville - Liberal Arts
Studying abroad was the most scary, courageous, but amazing thing I have ever done, and possibly ever will do. I grew up so much as a person and gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for the world. Studying abroad just emphasized my decision to have spanish as one of my majors and I definitely want to keep pursuing the language.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Sevilla |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
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 |
strengths - very helpful when you needed help contacting medical provider, etc, assisted with class selection, planned many interactive events with spanish and english students, day trips in spain weaknesses - not a lot of "program bonding" events like other programs had |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The neighborhood seemed a little unsafe at first, but I did get used to it. I was kind of bummed I wasn't closer to the CIEE building or to the center of the city but it worked out in the end. My host family treated me very well. |
| * Food: |
She was very accommodating of my "dietary restrictions" but overall I was not a fan of the food or style of food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Sevilla was a relatively safe city, although my friends did get beat up the 2nd week I was there. Other than that I felt safe the whole time I was there. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't spend as much as I did! I bought a lot of shoes and clothes that I didn't really need, just pace yourself. If you really love something buy it, but don't go crazy the first week you get there trying to get lots of clothes to fit in. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I could practice my language with local spanish students, my host family, and my professors. All of my classes were Americans so the predominant language there was English when speaking with peers. I used spanish in many day to day interactions, however, because not many people in Sevilla speak English. |
| 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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | GO!. If you want to learn more about the world and realize that more exists outside of your little hometown, then studying abroad will be great for you. It was hard at times but it was so worth it. Your friends, family, and university will all be here when you get back so go abroad, learn a new language and culture, and live it up! |
