One of the best experiences I've had, and wouldn't change a thing about it. Past Review
By Katherine Bender (Wartburg College) - abroad from 09/01/2016 to 12/10/2016 with
SSA Education Abroad: Seville - Semester, Year or Summer in Seville
I was able to learn more Spanish, was able to learn and appreciate more the Spanish culture and travel all through Europe. It was definitely worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The program was extremely helpful when I had questions, or if there were any problems they were quick to help. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpful and felt like I could go to them with anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Loved my host family and they helped me with a lot. I felt very comfortable with them. |
| * Food: |
Diverse and very tasty meals. If there was a food I did not prefer there would be no problem. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program set us up with Spanish speaking partners whom I became very good friends with and they gave me a more broad outlook on Seville. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in the city. Going in I would just have a basic knowledge of how city-life works. (Don't be out too late at night by yourself and if you are try not to call too much attention to yourself) |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
They were super helpful and I loved the class sizes. It gave each student a lot of individual attention if needed. |
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) |
Depending if I was not traveling during the weekends I was able to very easily live on a students budget especially because the program offered a tutoring job during the semester to make extra money. If I was traveling I easily went over the student budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 70 Euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try not to eat out too often if the experiences are and traveling is what you are going for. Eating out a lot can get very expensive. |
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 |
Speaking in Spanish all the time was the expectation of my program. All classes were taught in Spanish. |
| 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? | 300 level Spanish courses |
| 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? | Try to speak Spanish a lot with your friends since those are the people you are with most. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | A better understanding of how the class schedule worked. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
