Rewarding and Inspirational Past Review
By Devin B (Government and Environmental Policy, The College of William and Mary) for
Pablo de Olavide University: Seville - Multidisciplinary Studies Program
From language development to cultural understanding, from weekend travels to intellectual growth, this experience was worthwhile.
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. |
Between the four-day weeks, assumption by faculty and students that grades would not transfer, and less than serious tone of many of my fellow students, the rigor of the academics was generally minimal. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Mundolengua's administrators were very friendly, very thorough, and very patient. They were careful not to shove too many challenges of adapting to our environment at once. They were also very capable in English and patient with the students' varying skills in Spanish. Their travel expertise for program trips was also superb. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
While the neighborhood was nothing special, once in the apartment life was terrific. My host family was young (3 kids, one toddler) and large, but this created an interesting and vivacious atmosphere. My host mother, Carolina, was particularly patient with my and my roommate's language development, and she and the family took care to respect our boundaries. Above all, they were all extremely flexible and easy-going. There were no curfews, and they were always congenial with changing meal plans and weekend travel plans. There was definitely the expectation that we were family members, not guests. |
| * Food: |
The quantities are large, but if you drop the habit of snacking during the day, you will come to want the large meals, as they are your only source of food. The types of food are usually very tame and compatible with American palettes. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program trips to Morocco and Barcelona were highlights. On my own or with other program students, my most memorable trips were to Granada, Cadiz, London, and a golf tournament in Malaga, Spain. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Medical resources were certainly available; they just weren't elaborated very much. Prior to departure, our William and Mary program liaison gave us all the emergency contact information needed. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you plan to travel on weekends, as dry as it sounds, you need to watch your spending on the weekends that you spend in Sevilla. It is very tempting to spend elaborately on drinks and dance clubs while in Sevilla, but big spending really should be reserved for travel weekends. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 207 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Spanish was particularly necessary for interacting with my host family and Spanish professors. You could use it as much as you wanted to; some people took more risks and interacted with locals than others did. I used Spanish frequently every day. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | Getting the most out of this experience requires an at least somewhat individualistic student, one who isn't afraid to travel alone if he/she finds something he/she wants to do. If you're willing to immerse yourself in your family and culture, you can not only learn much about them; you can also learn much about yourself. |
