Maravilla en Sevilla Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took three Curso Concertado classes at the Universidad de Sevilla and one class in the JYS office. Even though all the classes that I took were targeted for American students, they were taught entirely in Spanish. While some of my professors were fluent in English, they refused to speak it and really encouraged us to improve our Spanish. Every class I took was engaging and fun. The coursework was not as demanding as my home university, but I learned so much by just going to class every week. The staff in the JYS office is also really helpful with determining how many and which classes to take. I also frequently went to the office throughout the semester with grammar questions or for extra help.

On-site administration of your program

I cannot recommend JYS as a program enough! The administration at our office made my transition into life in a different country so much easier. They were always there if I had questions and frequently checked in with students. I truly felt that I could tell them anything and they were also fun people. Each and every staff member is awesome- get to know them all! They also organized trips for us within Sevilla and to Granada, Cordoba, Ronda, and Chiclana. These trips were AMAZING!! It was so much fun to all be together in one hotel and they were all planned so we had guided tours about the culture of the city but we also had time to walk around and explore in groups. The group trips were some of my favorite weekends abroad.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I absolutely loved my host family! I lived with an older couple and there 41-year-old son. They were extremely accommodating with my eating habits and would always cook me something different if I didn't like what they were eating. The apartment was definitely cozy and I stayed in the same small room with my roommate, but we got along well so it wasn't a problem. They would allow us to go to the kitchen and get food if we wanted and regularly invited us to watch television with them. They did not leave the house frequently (they are older), but when they did, they would often invite us. They took me on a boat cruise down the river for tapas and took me to their farmhouse. We had the opportunity to get to know their entire family well (including their 8 grandchildren). They would come over and I would help them with English and they would help me with Spanish. I went out with my host brother a few times and he would take me to his favorite places around Sevilla. I still talk to many of my family members every week and I can't to go back to visit them!

My family continually gave us great meals and would always make my roommate and I our favorite foods. I felt comfortable telling my "mom" exactly what I liked and she would sometimes cook my roommate and I something different especially if she knew we didn't like what they were having. We always had 3 meals a day. Two days we had early classes at 9am and she would leave us breakfast on the table the night before so we could eat before class. We would always have a starter like a soup, stew, or rice, then we would have a meat and vegetable, and we would have a fruit for dessert. She would sometimes buy us churros for breakfast or give us pastries in the afternoon too. The food in all of Sevilla is SOOOO good. I ate at least five meals a day and three coffees! I tried to eat all my main meals at home and then I would go around Sevilla in the afternoon with friends for tapas or coffee. Food and coffee is fairly cheap and definitely worth trying as many foods as possible.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was clearly an American (my Spanish accent isn't so good) but I felt extremely comfortable in Sevilla. I honestly still feel like it's my second home. I would walk everywhere, meet up with friends at all hours and I got to know some incredible Spaniards. I never once felt uncomfortable. It was also fun to teach my host family and the Sevillanos about our traditions in America. A couple of my friends and I cooked a large Thanksgiving dinner together. Although I was a foreigner, I could walk or ride my bike anywhere in the city and all the Sevillanos were really patient with me. When I spoke Spanish, it was clear that I was American, but the Spaniards would give me time to form my sentences and help me to say what I wanted to say.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never got sick and never needed any care. However, my roommate got sick twice and both my host parents and the office accompanied her to the hospital and checked up on her frequently.

I always felt safe in the city. I would walk or bike alone and never once had any issues. People would be out on the streets until very late at night and I lived on a main street so it was always well-lit. JYS also provided us with a list of emergency phone numbers to bring around with us and were very informative about any strikes happening around the city.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Sevilla is one of the cheaper cities I visited. Drinks and food were very reasonably priced.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

JYS encouraged us to speak Spanish as much as possible. We weren't allowed to speak any English in the office. They also helped us meet students at the university if we wanted to talk to native speakers.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• It was unbelievable!

• Nothing