A Great Study Abroad Program in Seville Past Review
By Deborah B (Child Development/Community Health, Tufts University) for
Sweet Briar College: JYS in Seville
Absolutely - I gained fluency in Spanish, a wonderful new set of friends, and had the experience to travel all around Spain and Europe. I gained so much independence, confidence, and world knowledge.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2008 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone in both the Spain and US offices was incredibly nice and always willing to help out and answer questions. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was incredible - I could not have asked for a better living situation. My host mom cooked all our meals for us and took wonderful care of me. She had 3 children who were adorable and loved hanging out with me and my roomate (who was also American, which was nice). <br /><br /> I was located in a pretty residential area, and always felt safe walking around near my apartment. I was about a 20 minute walk from the university and all the other major locations in Sevilla. |
| * Food: |
My meals were always delicious - my host mom was a fantastic cook. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were plenty of opportunities for travel and cultural experiences through my program. I took flamenco dance classes and our program took us on numerous day and overnight trips. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never really had a health issue and always felt safe and cared for. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | very little because my host family rpovided me with my food and accomodations |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Most of my expenses were travel related - plane fares, hostels, etc... which can get expensive if you travel a lot. |
Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We were required to sign a spanish only policy before arriving, and this proved to be enforced pretty well. My host family spoke no english, and neither did many of my professors, so I was pretty much forced to speak spanish all the time, which greatly helped me improve my speaking skills. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Sweet Briar runs an excellent program. Be prepared to speak lots of spanish and pretty much only spanish. it will seem frustrating at first but you will reap the benefits of it in the end. Get to know your host family, because most likely, they will be incredible and you will learn so much from them about Spanish culture. |
