Sevilla, The BEST Place To Study! October 12, 2022
By Sofia S (Education and Spanish, Colby College) - abroad from 01/14/2022 to 05/14/2022 with
CIEE: Seville - Liberal Arts
I learned Spanish fluently, made some of my BEST friends, and experienced a new culture, language, and made a home.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I feel like the overall educational experience was great in the sense, I could focus on my cultural and linguistic experiences rather than solely school work. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on site coordination and support was immense! The staff at CIEE was so kind and informative and very helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my homestay. I lived near 45 minutes from the center, and really enjoyed the walk with my host sister Holly. I felt the busses and public transportation was very easy to navigate. |
| * Food: |
Not all dishes are your favorite, but I got to try so many new dishes! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt CIEE offered a lot of excursions and information sessions in the city. I also got to attend all Spanish holidays and traditions. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Very easy to navigate health care! CIEE staff was very accommodating and very supportive in helping find health care when needed. I felt it was almost easy to be provided with the sufficient care. |
| * Safety: |
Sevilla is VERY safe! Very safe to walk around alone, take public transportation, and it is very lively. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I love Sevilla and CIEE. I have been on 2 CIEE programs and the support and cultural immerson shows! |
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) |
Sevilla is pretty cheap! I would spend no more than 5 euros a day! I felt if I went out to eat it would not exceed 15-20 euros, and this was not frequent. Grabbing tea and a croissant was like 4 dollars! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | My homestay provided meals, but as for travel maybe 300 a month if I wanted to go somewhere. As for a weekly basis maybe 30-50 dollars? |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Grabbing tea and coffee is a great way to meet with new people at a low cost. I also suggest walking everywhere, it is easy to do and great to see the city. |
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 |
Everything was in Spanish! |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I had lived in Spain for 2 years prior. |
| 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? | I would say change your phone to Spanish, make sure you are taking to your home stay in Spanish, speak to locals, join a gym, join an acitvity ( I did pottery and dance classes) and watch shows in Spanish! |
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? | I had lived in Spain before, so I felt pretty prepared! |
