Sevilla: Best Friends, Most Fun Past Review
By Emiley M (International business, University of Missouri - Columbia) for
ISA Study Abroad in Sevilla, Spain
I learned so much more than Spanish. I learned to look at different cultures through their eyes, which is the most valuable lesson anyone in today's world can learn. For world peace to happen, we need to recognize and embrace the differences between different worlds and respect and love each other for our differences, and I learned this all in 3 months.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was defiantly do-able, and the grading system was more than generous. I learned so much from my courses, but even more from just immersing myself in the culture. The teaching methods were general small-class university classes of lecture and discussion. Nothing too scary. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The office staff at the ISA Sevilla office was my family away from home. I love each and every one of them. They made sure we were all taken care of and went above and beyond to become our friends and family. We as a group were all so sad to leave them behind, but I know I have lifetime friends in Sevilla in the the administrative staff. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My family was sweet, although it was very difficult to adjust to a different living style. Since Spanish living is so different than American, there was definitely some culture shock associated with living with a family in such close quarters. But I am so happy I chose a host-stay instead of an apartment because it really forced me to accumulate to a new culture, and isn't that the whole point of studying abroad? |
| * Food: |
There was a ton of food at all times, but it was cheap and repetitive. A lot of Spanish families are poorer, and the food reflects that. There was a lot of canned tuna, salt, bread, and weird fish. But if you just told them that that particular food wasn't your favorite, they were ok with that. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Every weekend was a cultural event. Just go to the city square and it was an experience like nothing you have ever seen. But both Semana Santa and Feria de Abril were amazing social and cultural experiences that, if not having been there to study, I probably would never have witnessed. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Always walk in groups. Never walk alone. Ever. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced with my professors, the ISA Sevilla staff, my host family, and my Spanish friends. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you're considering it, do it. You will probably never in your life get another chance to live abroad for this amount of time under these circumstances. It will change the way you think about the world. |
