SAIIE Sevilla Fall 2018 Past Review

By (University of Wisconsin - River Falls) - abroad from 09/19/2018 to 12/14/2018 with

UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
100% worthwhile. Appreciated the opportunity to learn about Spain's culture, and specific things I'll miss are my host family, using the Euro after never using it before, using 24-hour time instead of AM/PM, being able to travel so easily, hearing Spanish all the time, and walking everywhere

Review Photos

UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE) Photo UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE) Photo UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE) Photo UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE) Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

5/5 Overall educational rating. Loved having small classes in SAIIE and larger ones at the Universidad de Sevilla

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

5/5 for the SAIIE Office. They did a fantastic job!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Loved my host family. Couldn't imagine a better way to do housing in Sevilla

* Food:

Host family provided great food all semester

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The program helps a lot with cultural integration, but it's all up to individual students how invested they are in local culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

No health issues

* Safety:

Very safe all semester

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Couldn't imagine a better study abroad program than SAIIE. Had a fantastic time and would recommend it to everyone!

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)

Sevilla is a very low-cost city. Restaurants were always more expensive when we traveled elsewhere

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Probably 40-50 euros per week, most being spent on ice cream
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Having at least a basic budget is helpful, and if money is more of a concern, be sure to set some aside to have for the last weekend or two for traveling.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Constant encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
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? 3rd year university
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? Meet local students early on! Watch tv shows with your host family!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Host family
  • Teachers in all classes
  • SAIIE Staff
* What could be improved?
  • I don't
  • have any
  • suggestions
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Restaurants and servers function a lot differently than the US. Take every opportunity to travel because the program ends so quickly!

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.