I wish I could go again. Past Review
By Christina Martin (Susquehanna University) - abroad from 08/31/2016 to 12/10/2016 with
SSA Education Abroad: Seville - Semester, Year or Summer in Seville
I was able to do so much with my experience abroad. I taught English, visited 10 countries, and became so much more fluent in the Spanish language.
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. |
Very focused on learning the Spanish language, putting this as a priority. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I would highly recommend doing the homestay, it was hands down my favorite part of the trip. |
| * Food: |
La comida is amazing, and so affordable. I miss tapas everyday. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Spanish Studies Abroad staff always made sure to take adequate measures if a student reported ill to them. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe wherever I went. |
| 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) |
Living in a homestay made it extremely easy to budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Stay in a homestay! You will save so much money by not having to pay for food and laundry throughout the week. Budget beforehand and stick to it. |
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 |
There was a Spanish-only policy. |
| 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 |
| 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? | Speak it whenever you can, and use tools like DuoLingo to brush up! |
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? | You can dress like you do in America in terms of anything but sweats, the dress isn't incredibly different. Don't expect strangers to smile at you on the street, it just doesn't happen. Prepare yourself that people will try to speak English to you, you can speak Spanish. You will fall in love with your homestay. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
