BEST SUMMER OF MY LIFE IN SEVILLE Past Review
By Kainoa Miyamoto (International College of Seville / ICS) - abroad from 05/29/2017 to 06/02/2017 with
International College of Seville / ICS: Study Abroad in Seville
I can't even begin to explain the amount of knowledge I gained. First of all this was my first experience abroad and I think everyone educated through the american education system can attest to the fact that we never get to learn enough about other cultures and world geography. My experience abroad has shown me what it's like to be in someone else's shoes and taught me how to be an independent learner. Aside from the whole education part I think the best part about the trip was making life long friends. By far this was the hardest aspect of my time abroad coming to an end, saying farewell to the friends I've made was incredibly difficult but I know that I'll see them again. Overall this trip was the most worthwhile thing I have ever done.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration for this program was always available to meet and aid us with anything we needed. They were all so kind and empathic, and made the entire program run so smoothly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
This was my first experience studying abroad and I feared having to live with a host family due to my lack luster ability to speak their language. However, I found that my host family was very accommodating although it was hard to understand one another at first. I couldn't have been any happier in the end with how my living arrangements were. I felt so safe and comfortable in my housing that I made a second family within the short time I was with them and I am sure I will see them again. |
| * Food: |
Although bizarre to me at first, their eating habits/timing became something I thoroughly enjoyed. The food was always prepared in good quality and quantity. My host mother was so great at cooking and I loved to try everything that she put on the table. The food was a great way for me to experience more of the culture in Spain. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Studying abroad is always an immersive experience. While studying abroad you are basically being thrown into the lions den and forced to experience every aspect of another culture. This program did well to make us feel comfortable while still keeping us thoroughly engaged with the language and culture of Spain. We took various cultural trips around the historic city of Sevilla which helped us take small breaks from studying and gave us insight into local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Although our program was only a month long we were given our own healthcare coverage which covered almost everything imaginable. The local clinic was located not too far away from our school and the staff of our program were able to help students express their ailments to doctors when needed. |
| * Safety: |
To anyone looking to study abroad and are considering Sevilla. This city was perfect, it was everything I was looking forward to for my experience abroad. Sevilla felt incredibly safe and everything there was very affordable. The city isn't extremely large which made it perfect for me as I hate the hustle and bustle of really large cities. Sevilla and for most of Spain is what I considered a walking city. Everything was easily accessible just by walking 10-15 minutes leisurely. Do take care to watch for cars while taking a stroll through the city, some streets are car accessible and some aren't. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The staff with this program knew how to get us involved and the host families were simply amazing. I'm so happy that I got to experience this in my lifetime and I hope I can do it again soon! |
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) |
Our program actually had our host families prepare meals for us so basically everything was included in housing. However, whenever we did decide to go out and eat, everything was very affordable. One could spend about 8 euro and be full for hours. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | On average I think I spent about 100 euro a week just for shopping and the occasional meal. I didn't go out as often to experience the night life of the city so I'm sure I saved a fair amount in that area. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If your host family provides you with meals. Save your money and spend as much time as you can eating and speaking to them. They know more about the culture and language than anyone else and you'll save yourself a lot of money. |
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 |
While at school our courses were taught in spanish with english being spoken 15% of the time just in case we didn't understand. So at school I would say we were encouraged to use spanish a lot. However, I think I learned the most from my homestay. There is no way of getting around speaking the language when you are with a host family and I think that being with a host family is very important if you are trying to learn a language abroad. |
| 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 102. Second semester Spanish level |
| 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? | Do not be afraid to speak to people when you are abroad. The entire point of the trip is to experience the culture of another place and the best way to do that is by learning the native tongue. At first it will be very intimidating but if you continue to speak to people you'll learn so much. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | That there is so much more to the world to experience. I wish i knew this so I could've started seeing the world at a younger age but I am so glad I know what the world has in store now. |
