A Semester of Rest Past Review
By brittany (Philosophy., Eastern College) - abroad from 02/02/2012 to 05/16/2012 with
SSA Education Abroad: Seville - Semester, Year or Summer in Seville
Definitely worthwhile. I became more independent, self-confident, cultured, open-minded, grateful of what I have back home and what I was able to experience in Seville, and definitely more fluent in Spanish.
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. |
Great professors; good balance of workload and time to rest and travel. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Always approachable |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a great family who made me feel a part of their family and culture. (However, the general housing situation was hit-and-miss.) |
| * Food: |
Loved eating tapas and fresh food; loved Seville's olives and olive oil, bull's tail (delicacy); Seville offers a mature example of alcohol use |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living with a host family, tutoring English, meeting with a speaking partner, and being assertive about meeting other Spaniards really helped me to integrate into Seville's culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have real health problems; common cold. Other students told me that our school administration would go with students to the doctor if needed. |
| * Safety: |
Safest city I've been in; empowering as a woman to walk about the city and feel/be safe. |
| 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) |
This rating does not consider money spent on personal trips (i.e. trips completely unassociated with my study abroad program) or money earned from tutoring English. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $53.00 (not including personal trips or earned money) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Keep track of expenses. I was spending more than I realized at first and realized this because I kept track. However, part of Seville's culture involved eating tapas and other expense-related things, so try not to be too stingy on money and miss out - it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I was able to earn a bit of extra spending money by tutoring English (also a fun experience). |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We were always to speak Spanish, meet with our speaking partner(s), live with a host family or dorm with Spaniards, and take language courses. Our classes were taught in Spanish, and we could also take courses at the Universidad de Sevilla - a great way to meet Spaniards. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced Placement in high school; 300 level in college |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Write down vocab. words/phrases on a notecard and carry it with you. It's likely that you'll hear new words frequently, and it's helpful to have a list with you to refresh your memory. Also, pay attention to the phrasing people use to express a certain idea - it's not always about remembering perfect grammar but also about recognizing general phrases and idioms. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How to budget; many people no longer practice stereotypical "machismo" but are more egalitarian (I experienced the effects of machismo from people I didn't know, but the men I knew personally were more egalitarian [professors, host father, father of the students I tutored, guy friends, etc.]) |
