Fantastic Summer in Sevilla Past Review
By A student (International Relations and Spanish, University of Wisconsin - River Falls) - abroad from 05/18/2015 to 06/19/2015 with
UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE)
The staff, host family and students in the program were awesome. It was totally worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
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 |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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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? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
Tuition, fees and the flight are expected costs, but the amounts for weekend excursions and out-of-class activities was a bit of a surprise. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Making sure to always have a back up. Using cash was very useful but having a credit card helped distribute the burden, Mastercard and Visa are excepted in all of Europe but American Express is a good one too. Discover is just now making its way in Scandinavia but unheard of in Iberia and France. |
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 |
Having a high level and understanding of the language made it my responsibility to challenge my skills but I had a great time engaging with locals and helping my peers develop their skills. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced Spanish, 400+ |
| 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? | Best way is to socialize and participate in group activities, especially any kind of city tour. Engaging on a personal level with the location, host family and discovering the nightlife is a relaxed and simple way to pick up the language. Never be afraid to ask questions! Getting to know the surroundings really helps build confidence in order to really enjoy your experience. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 0 |
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? | That the Platteville information online was outdated and there was some confusion regarding excursion fees. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
