A Wonderful (yet at times Challenging) Semester in Sevilla and Traveling Around Europe Past Review
By Liz C (International Relations, ) for
Sweet Briar College: JYS in Seville
I'd probably give my study abroad experience between a 3 and 4. At times, I loved it and had amazing memories of Sevilla and the various places I visited and people I met, but I also had a challenging time as well, adjusting to my life in Spain, the people on my program, etc. If I could do it over again, I would do even more to make the most of my time in Spain, and if I wasn't happy with a particular situation, I would be less passive and make an effort to change it and make it better. Overall, I think Sweet Briar is really great and well-run program. Was it the best program for me? I'm not quite sure, but I also don't know if I would have liked CIEE any better. I am so glad that I studied abroad in general and that I chose to study abroad in Sevilla. Looking back on the experience, it was the most memorable 5 months of my life, and while parts of it were challenging, it made me a much stronger, independent, and adventurous person. Study abroad definitely gave me a travel bug and I can't wait to go back to Spain to see more of the country. It certainly heightened my cultural awareness as well and made me think a lot about how Americans are perceived abroad and how we perceive other groups and cultures. I also wish I kept up with my Spanish. When I left Spain in May 2007, my Spanish was great and now in September 2010, I must say that I have lost much of my Spanish speaking ability. I advise everyone to keep up with your Spanish - take more classes, practice with friends, read book in Spanish - whatever you can do to maintain your Spanish language ability.
Personal Information
If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Sevilla |
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I was very happy with the academics in the Sweet Briar program. The classes that I took directly through Sweet Briar were appropriately challenging, engaging, and informative. The classes that I took at the university were easier (they were for American study abroad students), but they weren't quite as interesting. If I could go back and do it again, I would have also taken a class at the university that included Spanish, European, and American students. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site staff for Sweet Briar's program were excellent. They are all from Sevilla and very knowledgeable about the area. They were kind, helpful, and seemed to truly enjoy their work. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was happy with the basic living arrangement at my host family's apartment, but I wish I was closer to other students or living with another student. It was just me and my host mom, a 75 year old woman, most of the time and that was kind of lonely. Her grandchildren, who were college students, stayed in the apartment sometimes, but they did not have much interest in interacting with me. While my host mother fulfilled all of her requirements, I felt like I was treated just like another student who was passing through. Some students really felt like a part of their host families, and I never felt like that. I learned a lot about Spanish culture from my host mother, but she was very old-fashioned, and sometimes I wonder if I would have better off living with other Spanish students in an apartment or with a full Spanish family. Its hard to know what creates the most "authentic" study abroad experience. |
* Food: |
My host mother was a great cook and I was always very well-fed. I had lots of stews, tortilla espanola, manchego cheese, croquetas, etc. Sometimes, it was more food than I could even eat. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program had a lot of pre-planned day-long and weekend excursions (e.g Ronda, Granada, Cadiz, Huelva), which were a lot of fun and culturally informative. I feel like I was able to truly understand Andalucia and make my way through parts of the region because of the trips that Sweet Briar organized. We also had a student advisor, who was a former student on the program, who was a helpful guide in the city during our first few eeks. |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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* Safety: |
I always felt safe in Sevilla and walking home by myself to my apartment. However, I would have preferred to live with another student on the program or within the same neighborhood as more students on the program. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
* 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? |
The program encouraged the students to speak Spanish all the time. In the beginning, we were good about this, but we got lazy later on in the semester. I wish I had made more of an effort to use my Spanish in daily conversations with other Americans students. I did use Spanish in all my interactions with locals. I spoke Spanish with my host mother, her grandchildren, my teachers, and various people that I met. In Sevilla, most local people do not speak english. By the end of the program, my Spanish ability had improved dramatically. |
Other Program Information
* 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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | An academically oriented student who is dedicated to learning Spanish A student who prefers small groups Someone who is interested in really learning and understanding Spanish culture Someone who wants to live with a host family Someone who wants to have lots of programs/day-trips planned for them. |