The best 5 months of my life. Past Review
By Kara C (Harper College) - abroad from 01/27/2015 to 05/08/2015 with
International College of Seville / ICS: Study Abroad in Seville
I gained independence and insight on other cultures. I gained knowledge by diving into Sevilla and it's traditions and culture. I learned how to travel throughout Europe, which was huge for me because I had never been outside of the United States. I learned the Spanish language and was able to use it with the locals. I gained overall as a human being. I am still discovering everyday what I have received from such an incredible opportunity. It was completely worthwhile and would recommend it to anyone. I wish I could do it over and over again.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The ICS program taught me far beyond the pages of a textbook. I learned numerous life skills that I brought home with me, and will use in the future. The academic rigor wasn't too intense, which I think was an extreme positive. We were instead able to remain with little stress and still be taught important material on the classes we chose. We were encouraged to travel and gain insight on different cities, countries, and cultures. As for the resources, there is a small library that holds many books, computers, and a separate room for students to study. Though I believe that the best resource of all, was the teachers. The teachers were incredible. The best group of teachers I've actually ever had at a school. They formed relationships with each of their students and we all knew we could come to them for anything. They were beyond helpful with traveling information and help, they also kept our best interest and safety in mind when suggesting places to go and see. They arranged parties for celebrations in the schools (even for my birthday(: ) and outings around the city for students to join in on the fun. There was also an endless bowl of delicious candies that always remained full in the school, which all of the students took deep advantage of. I think that my time abroad would have greatly been less enjoyable had it not been for ICS's outstanding professors. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administration did a great job of keeping me ahead and reminding me of due dates. I am quite the procrastinator, so it was nice to have reminders sent for items I needed to turn in. All the students received weekly emails filling us in on any events or important information. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was more than satisfied with my living arrangements. I was placed with the most loving, friendly, amazing family. They took my roommate and I, in with open arms. We felt instantly at home. The food was also INCREDIBLE. Rosa was an excellent cook. It was so nice to experience living with a Spanish family and eating traditional Spanish home-cooked meals. The location of the apartment was also right by the school, so it was just an easy 7 minute walk. |
| * Food: |
I LOVE Spanish food. The home-cooked meals were always delicious and mouth watering. We even often received meals and snacks at school, which were beyond great. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt more and more comfortable in the Spanish society as time went on. ICS encouraged us to immerse ourselves in the culture and provided us with many opportunities to do so. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't personally have an experience with the healthcare, though other students in my program did. From what I saw, if a student needed to go to the doctor. It was easy and quick to schedule and appointment or just to show up. They also were very helpful and everyone seemed satisfied afterwards. |
| * Safety: |
I actually never felt unsafe in Sevilla. It was actually one of the places I felt most safe out of the countries I visited. We were advised to always walk around with a buddy. Which we all did, though there always seemed to always be people out even late at night. We were well informed of safety precautions even before arriving in Sevilla. My advice to any future students would be just walk around at night with a buddy. |
| 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) |
5 |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan ahead of time where you want to travel and keep in mind food, transportation, and hostels. That way you know how much money you will need extra. Also try and budget yourself. Try to set limits on how much you spend each week so you have money later on in the program. |
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 |
I think living with host families encouraged us all to study and learn more Spanish, so we could communicate further with them. My Spanish teacher in ICS was also very encouraging. He gave us homework where we would have to go out to restaurants or bars and practice ordering or reading the menu. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 4, in highschool. |
| 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 advise everyone to practice with their host families. They enjoy watching you try and learn their language and they are more than helpful and encouraging. It's also good going out and speaking Spanish to the locals. I only wish I would've spoke more Spanish than English with my roommate and friends for extra practice. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | How to budget money and how to plan returning flights back home. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
