I Left a Part of my Heart in Sevilla Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was not as challenged as I am at my host university, however, I think that was appropriate given the cultural and language changes that I experienced. Furthermore, the extra time allowed me the chance to travel and really incorporate myself into Spanish culture. At CIEE, I also took a seminar class about the differences between Spanish and American culture and that was a chill class that was more an opportunity to discuss how to better immerse ourselves and any issues we had with cultural differences.

On-site administration of your program

I found the program to be extremely accessible. The staff and CIEE professors do a great job of being involved with the students, so they go on trips and lead groups so they can foster a relationship with the students. By the end of the semester, you end up really close to them, will miss them, and see them more as mentors/advisors than administrators. They know a ton about Spain since they are all from Spain (with the exception of one who is from the US but has lived in Spain for years) and they all have a good knowledge base of US higher education. Several have visited the US, one just went to Oregon for a few months to gain experience, and all of them have a solid enough grasp of English that they can use it in emergency situations. The program was actually much larger than any other programs I heard of, approx 120 and it got bigger in the spring when I left. However, I never felt like I was lost in the crowd and I liked not necessarily knowing everyone in my program. The only weakness of CIEE (which is probably cultural) was their ability to plan/inform us about things. CIEE sometimes would tell us only part of the info ahead of time or would sometimes forget about getting things done so you just had to remind them. It got a tad annoying, but we attributed it to a cultural thing and it was never a big enough problem that the students' time was disturbed.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing was completely arranged for me by CIEE. The only time you need to arrange your own housing is when you travel and if you decide to arrive early or stay later than the program is scheduled for. My neighborhood was extremely safe and you could walk home at any time. It was easier/quicker/safer to take a taxi, but walking was always safe with friends. I lived in a piso or floor of an apartment building that was beside a ton of other ones. It was a neighborhood of families and older couples. Everyone was used to seeing study abroad kids and tended to mind theirown business, though neighbors who were friends of my host family were introduced. Walking, I was 30-40 min from class and about 20-30 from some nightlife and 40 from other spots of nightlife. Via taxi, 10-15 min would take you anywhere around the city. You could also use the bus or metro which sped things up. I didn't need to buy any items to settle in. I was treated by my host mom probably like a combination of a family member and a guest, maybe like a distant cousin. She was very sweet and kind towards me, but we never connected as much as others did with their hosts.

I am allergic to seafood which I thought was going to be a problem, but there was a huge variety of food so I was never limited and my host mom knew about my allergy before I got there (due to a form we filled out) so she was always very conscious of it when preparing my food. The hardest dietary restrictions I heard about was vegetarians, just because that type of food is not common there. Food servings are generally larger in terms of lunch and smaller in terms of dinner. Overall they are smaller so I know that guys had trouble adjusting, but girls were always satisfied. I loved the food and they always used fresh ingredients and YUM. In Sevilla, there are tons of tapas bars all over town. These are small bars where you order a ton of dishes that are small to share. Best place to go? 100 Monteditos. It's like Spain's chain sandwich shop. Extremely affordable, really popular with locals and tourists, and plays soccer games on their TVs.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

CIEE plans TONS of weekend excursions for their students. Firstly, every week, there was at least 2 opportunities during the week to go on a tour of some significant building or area of Sevilla led by CIEE tour guides. Then, on weekends, they set up a few times through out the semester, opportunities to volunteer or to go on a hike. Next, they set up almost every weekend for the first couple of months, weekend trips (usually one day, two days for Granada) led by the CIEE staff and completely financed by CIEE to neighboring cities like Cadíz, Cordóba, etc. I saw most of southern Spain just by going on all the trips provided by CIEE. Finally, each student choses a interest group to be involved in. Through out the semester, they have cultural events about their topic and, in the end, they take you on a larger paid trip. I, for example, went to Barcelona for 3 days.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Even though Sevilla is a big city, it is one of the safest. Be smart and you will be fine. There were a few instances of things getting stolen but it happened when laptops were left completely unattended. Try not to walk home alone at night, but I've never heard of any problems with it if you have to. Don't carry a huge amount of money on your person if you can. When you get a large amount of money out of he bank (which you will do), go directly to your home and leave it there. Carry a photocopy of your passport instead of your actual passport. Get an international student ID card (CIEE gives you something like this). I did not have any health issues, but some people did get colds. In Spain, they have international healthcare, meaning that doctors still make house calls, you can go to the hospital at anytime for free (basically) and if you need any medicine including Tylenol, you go to a pharmacy, tell the pharmacist your symptoms, and they will find the right medicine for you. A little nerve racking for your Spanish, but really easy. Local healthcare is much more accessible than in the US. No vaccines needed, but my home university required me to get a TB test when I got back.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

You did need to use Spanish in everyday interactions. Some people knew English, but most sevillanos don't know enough to have a solid conversation and/or be comfortable to really try. It's your job to more bridge the language barrier gap by using your Spanish skills. I practiced my Spanish with my host señora, all of my professors, our CIEE guides (who kindly remind you at the center to use Spanish haha) and with the Spaniards I met when I went out at any time. Even though you need to use Spanish often, all the sevillanos are really nice and welcoming about using your Spanish. If you know any Spanish and you use it, they would love to have a conversation with you.

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• Americans