Sevilla: My Home Away from Home Past Review
By Olivia S (Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, Harvard University) for
CIEE: Seville - Summer Language and Culture
It was absolutely the most memorable experience of my life thus far. I want to go back and live and work in Spain after graduation.
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was the perfect amount for summer study aborad experience. Enough that I still felt challenged but not too much where I country appreciate the country I was in/experience the culture. I don't know much about the grading system because I have not received my grades yet. The teachers were awesome! They were local teachers that were really receptive/willing to help you learn. It was a challenge though because I really had to always communicate in Spanish with them, but that was the point of studying abroad! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
This program exceeded all of my expectations. CIEE is such a well-run program, their staff is efficient, helpful, and reliable. They took us on excursions 4/6 weekends and planned multiple events to help you feel a part of the culture in Sevilla. Their away excursions were extremely well-run, and had the perfect balance of structured events and free time to explore on your own. The size of the program was perfect as well- big enough to meet enough people, but small enough to know pretty much everyone. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
lots of potatoes!!!!!!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Literally the entire experience. Everything I did was a cultural experience and I absolutely loved every moment of it. The planned weekend trips were especially amazing though! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I got sick the first week, and my program and host family were really great about getting me medical care/medicine. I had to pay up front but I sent the receipt to my insurance when I got back and it was all covered. Seville is a very safe city, I never really felt unsafe 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? | Weekend travel is expensive, but I knew that! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
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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 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? | someone outgoing and who wants to have fun and likes the heat! ALSO GO THE FIRST SESSION, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL SESSION 2!!!! iT gets too hot late in the summer and you form your friendships in the first week! |
