Study Abroad in Segovia Spain - definitely worthwhile Past Review
By Susan A (Spanish, Morehead State University) for
KIIS: Sevogia - Experience Segovia Spring Semester Program
My study abroad experience was very worthwhile. In addition to the Spanish language, I learned about the culture of Spain and the history that shaped it into the country it is today. I feel much more connected to the rest of the world now.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The professors did a great job of utilizing Spain during our classes! Segovia has a very rich history, therefore we were able to visit historic sites we learned about in class. We also had opportunities to speak Spanish with natives when we were assigned to go to the weekly market. The workload was realistic yet challenging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My program director was wonderful! She was very organized, efficient and informative. She has a lot of experience leading programs in Segovia and made the experience very educational and fun. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mother treated me like her own child. She was very warm and always eager to help me with Spanish or answer questions I had about Spain. She cooked all our meals, did our laundry, and so much more. The location was perfect, very close to the KIIS center. |
| * Food: |
The food quality/quantity was great and she also remained consistent with serving food that is common in Spain. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All of our excursions were memorable and enjoyable! We visited Madrid, Toledo, Salamanca and La Granja as a group. We also visited many landmarks in Segovia. I was in Segovia during the festivals of San Juan and San Pedro which was fantastic! This was also during the World Cup games so we were able to watch Spain play on a huge screen in the Plaza Mayor. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I did not have any experiences with healthcare but the city was very safe and we were advised to be very careful with our possessions when we traveled to larger cities. |
| 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? |
My Spanish skills improved a significant amount because I had the opportunity to live with a host family. My host mother did not speak English which was perfect because it allowed me to constantly be in Spanish. I did not hear a lot of English in Segovia as opposed to bigger cities like Madrid because there are not as many tourists. |
| 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? | My advice would be to make sure to continue speaking in Spanish when you're not in class or with your host family. It is very easy to slip back into English when you're just with American students, but you will get so much more out of the experience if you speak only Spanish as much as possible. |
