Maravilloso experiencia en España Past Review
By Bethany (University of Wisconsin - Platteville) - abroad from 01/31/2018 to 05/11/2018 with
UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE)
My Spanish ability has increased tremendously. Being able to travel around Europe was the experience of the lifetime. Definitely worthwhile to delay graduation.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had 2 classes at SAIIE and 2 classes at the Universidad de Sevilla. All classes were fairly simple but required several essays. I did learn a lot about the culture and language through these classes. |
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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? |
My host family was composed of me, my roommate from SAIIE, my host mom and dad, their two boys (23 and 26 years old), and 2 other foreign exchange students. We had students from Germany, Italy, Canada, and France stay with us! Dinnertime was my favorite -- everybody around the table communicating in Spanish about our days. |
| * Food: |
AMAZING. Meals are covered with our host family except for on the weekends and Friday nights, which was perfect for traveling and letting us try outside food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I lived like a Sevillian. My host family took me to Semana Santa events and let me know of local concerts that were happening. Without the homestay I would not have felt as connected. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had a rash my last week in Sevilla, and my host mom brought me to a pharmacy to get it checked out. |
| * Safety: |
Of course, be careful with open purses and wallets. I never had a problem feeling unsafe or getting pickpocketed. But like any big city, don't invite it by being oblivious! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The host family alone would make me choose the same program. I liked having a smaller group of students in the program and actually getting to know the program administrators. |
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) |
Traveling is super inexpensive over in Europe, so I took advantage. However, 60 Euro train tickets every weekend adds up. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 20 Euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Keep a budget! Have an idea of how much money you have to spend before going. |
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 |
It is what you make it. I always chose to speak in Spanish to my program administrators, professors, and coordinators. However, some of the administrators chose to speak in English with students and it was an easy thing to fall into. It was more of an enabling thing rather than an encouragement thing. |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 level Spanish |
| 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? | Speak with your professors, speak with other people from Spanish speaking countries, speak "sin miedo" (without fear). |
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? |
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? | It's important to speak without fear of making a mistake. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Monuments |
| Course Department: | SAIIE |
| Instructor: | Reda |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Absolutely amazing! Reda is super knowledgeable about Sevilla and the history of Spain. His passion for teaching makes this class amazing. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
