An amazing experience in Spain with amazing people! Past Review
By Hailey J (Elementary Education, University of Wisconsin - River Falls) - abroad from 01/15/2014 to 04/25/2014 with
UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE)
It's hard to explain how much I learned because I don't think words could explain it. But I am overall a more independent person and much more open-minded. This experience was 100% worthwhile and I would recommend it to anyone.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
SAIIE Staff is awesome. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Love my host mom:) |
| * Food: |
Delicious!!! |
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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? |
Staff members accompanied students to the doctor. It was very comforting. |
| * Safety: |
I felt as safe in Sevilla as I do at home. I would still recommend taking precautions to keep yourself safe. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $35 for food on weekends, and about $15 every once in a while for other things |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan on spending more money than you think. It can be inexpensive if you want it to be, but value the time and be mentally prepared to pay for trips and extra things. |
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 |
In classes I was not allowed to speak English and that helped me a ton. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 301 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Sevillanos are the coolest people you will ever meet. Just go up to them and tell them you want to practice Spanish and they will talk to you. Don't be shy! |
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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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? | I wish I knew that all I had to do was get there and the staff took care of it from there. |
