I loved Sevilla! Past Review
By Joelle R (Chemistry, Minnesota State University, Moorhead) for
ISA Study Abroad in Sevilla, Spain
Studying abroad with ISA was an amazing experience that changed my life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Courses were very easy compared to my home university. I took a science course while studying abroad that I needed for my major and when I came back I realized the course left me very unprepared for later courses. I realize taking a science course abroad was not the smartest decision but it was the only way I could study abroad and still graduate in only 4 years. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My roommate and I had one issue with the host administration while we studied abroad. During our homestay, our host parents got divorced and our mother moved out. We were left in the house with our father and older brother, which was completely fine with us because our host father was amazing. However, ISA was aware of the situation and no one in the administrative staff checked on us after our mother moved out. My roommate and I were both female and living with two older men. Like I said, it wasn't an issue because my roommate and I really liked our host father. But I just felt that ISA should have checked in on us since it was a sensitive situation. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was amazing. Our padre was a very nice man and took care of us like his own children, we loved it there. The neighborhood was very safe and close to buses for both classes and night life. |
| * Food: |
Our host family always had plenty of food for us and had delicious, home-cooked meals. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Sevilla is a very safe city. I never felt scared or unsafe at all while walking around, even late at night. People are out at all hours of the day so even at 4am, there were still people around and you always felt safe. |
| 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) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced the language with my host family the most. A lot of people in the host country spoke English but I still needed to use Spanish a lot when interacting with people in shops or restaurants. It was very easy to speak English a lot though and I left my study abroad wishing I had been forced to use my Spanish more instead of falling back on the comfort zone of English so much. When interacting with the other ISA students, we almost always spoke English. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
