Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The Best Semester of my Life!! June 27, 2025

By (Psychology, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/22/2025 to 05/16/2025 with

CIEE: Seville - Psychology & Health Science

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to be independent and navigate cities by myself. I learned to enjoy exploring and putting myself in uncomfortable situations. I feel like it really changed the person I am and my confidence levels.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I loved my program. The staff were all so friendly and really got to know us. They organized lots of activities throughout the semester.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing was great. I had my own room and we had laundry in the building and a rooftop pool. It was very close to public transportation.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt extremely safe walking around by myself in Seville. I did not have any issues or have any instances where I felt uncomofrtable safety-wise.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Seville is a much more affordable city than other European cities.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Make sure to do your research when planning trips and use sites like Skyscanner in order to get the best deals. Try to set an amount of money you are comfortable with spending each week and stick to it.

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? Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Sense of community
  • Activities
  • Staff memebers
* What could be improved?
  • being allowed to miss an activity
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew what an incredible experience it would be!

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.