El País de Mi Corazón: My Life-Changing Experience in Sevilla Past Review
By Logan L (Spanish, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota) for
SSA Education Abroad: Seville - Semester, Year or Summer in Seville
I am so satisfied and grateful for my time abroad. I plan to pursue residency and recognition of my teaching degrees in a few years.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | La Universidad de Sevilla |
| 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. |
While the grading system was strikingly different, the workload was not at all overwhelming, and I thoroughly enjoyed my classes at the Center. If I could do it over again, I would not take any undergraduate classes at the University of Seville again. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Most of the program was well-administrated. Attention to student needs could have been better attended to by some of the staff (not all). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
In the Fall, I lived with a family on the outskirts of Triana. I really enjoyed it, but it would not be my first choice again. I loved having kids in the host house (my host mom's grandkids) as I learned more from them than I did the rest of the family. In the Spring, I lived with a widow on the Guadalquivir on the 8th floor of an extremely nice apartment one block from the Puente de Triana, and had an American roommate. That house was AWESOME. She was an awesome cook and helped me a lot in language acquisition, cultural differences, and really and truly acted like a mother, and made me accountable where my previous host parents did not. |
| * Food: |
Although I have stomach issues, and a lot of the food made me sick, I did find specific food that I could eat, and my host families helped a lot. Maccheroni (García de Vinuesa, 26) is the best restaurant in Seville, with the nicest, friendliest staff I have ever met. Talk to them in English. They love practicing and learning how to speak better English. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Semana Santa was very interesting. I would recommend that any student attends at least one Paseo in person. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Seville/Triana was an extremely safe city. I never once had any safety issues, and I could be out in the middle of the night and feel very safe. Watch your belongings against pickpockets. |
| 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 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced the language at any chance I could get. With everyone. I only used English when I needed to (like during my Internship when I taught English.) |
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 did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Los Maristas English Internship |
| Course Department: | INT 400 |
| Instructor: | Macarena Muñoz |
| Instruction Language: | English & Spanish |
| Comments: | It was AWESOME. I learned so much, and took a way an amazing experience. The faculty I worked with were top-notch, and made me feel like a professional and part of the family. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Not at all. |
