Sevilla, Spain: The most beautiful home away from home Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The teachers were very informative and knowledgeable about their subjects. The workloads were about what I expected. Each class required work due every class, but for the most part it was interesting work and nothing I dreaded doing. The grading system was very different (out of 10 rather than 100) but the grade you received on a 10 point scale didn't convert the way one would think to a 100 scale; ie mltiplying by 10). I actually preferred the Spanish grading system.

On-site administration of your program

The ISA staff is absolutely unbelievable. They help with anything any student needed and were happy do to it every single time. They were so much fun to travel with on program excursions and helped give us more insight to their country and culture so that we understood it better from more points of view. I don't think there could possibly have been a better group of people running my program.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My neighborhood, as well as the city I was living in was very safe. I was fine walking the streets late at night after being out with friends and felt safe, but one should always use caution after dark. My host family must have been sent from the Good Lord above because they were the most warm and welcoming people I have encountered in my time spent traveling. I've been to 15 countries and traveled for months at a time and never met a better family than my host family. I was treated like a son by my host parents.

My home cooked meals were simply delightful. My host father used to be a cook and made the most delicious meals I could have ever asked for. It gave me a great opportunity to have some of the local flavors and specialties.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Being in Europe gave me a perfect opportunity for more travels within the continent. In addition, our program took us to 2 more additional countries than our host country and 1 more continent. Every weekend was an adventure, whether it be flying off to a new place or finding new places within the city I was living. Sevilla had so much history and culture to it that three months was not enough time to experience it all, but gave me the opportunity to see a great deal of it.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

City was very safe overall. Never walk at night alone if you ca avoid it. The program employees helped numerous friends with healthcare needs, which went smoothly for my friends. I did not need any vaccines for my country, but after a return from Morocco, I did have E.coli which required pills to help me combat it. The directors did warn us of sicknesses that many students acquire from visiting Morocco.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Everyday with my host family and directors at school, as well as with people in the city in restaurants and stores.

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• Americans
• Host Family