Studying Abroad in Sevilla Shaped Me Into the Person I Am Today! Past Review
By Allison C (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Villanova University) for
CIEE: Seville - Liberal Arts
I gained a larger outlook of the world. I learned so much about different societies and by learning about their culture, I learned a lot about myself. I gained a lot of independence when I was abroad and I just feel that my entire personality has changed for the better because of my time in Spain.
Personal Information
| 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. |
The workload was challenging, but manageable. The staff in Sevilla was very accommodating to students who weren't used to having class in Spanish. At first the grading system was confusing, but the CIEE explained it very thoroughly. The extra day off on Friday was a great way to have more time to experience Sevilla and other locations around Europe. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Sometimes the CIEE staff was a little disorganized with planning activities. However, they were very knowledgeable and helpful with any issue that we might have had. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My housing was the best living situation I could have asked for. My senora was so great and helped us with anything we needed. She helped me most with my language improvement and would correct me if I said something wrong. The apartment was close to my classes and close to the nightlife. My senora provided all the items for the apartment, we didn't need to buy anything except personal items. |
| * Food: |
My senora would sometimes travel for a couple days and she always left us food. But sometimes we would need to go to the grocery store for an extra food item or two because we would run out before she came home. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The excursions around Sevilla and the pueblos around Sevilla were so much fun. I signed up for every hiking excursion I could because they were so enjoyable. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Sevilla was a very safe city and I never once felt as if I was in danger. I actually feel that Sevilla is safer than where I live in the US. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most of the American students spoke English when we were together. But I was forced to speak Spanish in my homestay and in most social situations. When we went out at night, we practiced our Spanish with other native Spaniards. I used Spanish everyday and about 2/3 of my day was speaking Spanish. |
| 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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone studying abroad. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Art and Fiesta: Andalusia and Her Popular Traditions |
| Course Department: | ANTH 4001 CSCS/SPAN 4002 CSCS |
| Instructor: | Fernando Solano Vázque |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | It was challenging, but also very informative. Fernando was so knowledgeable about every aspect of what he taught. The fact that we took excursions around the city reinforced the course material. I participated about as much as I do at my university now. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I did have a small issue of CIEE coding the class incorrectly, but they were very quick in getting back to me and correcting the mistake. |
