Abroad at Seville's Universidad Pablo de Olavide Past Review
By Nicole J (International Relations and Affairs., The College of William and Mary) for
William and Mary: Seville - William and Mary in Seville
Yes, my experience was fantastic and amazing. I would not trade it for the world. I gained a new and more relaxed outlook on life by living with Spaniards and understanding that events that were stressful to me were not necessarily the same as experiences that might be stressful to them.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad Pablo de Olavide |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My experience at UPO was definitely less difficult than my educational experiences at William and Mary, but I believe that there was still a decent amount of work to be done. I think it was a good balance of work and play. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff at MundoLengua was unbelievably helpful and went out of their was to make sure our stays were comfortable- they had meetings with us regularly asking about our experiences with our host families, they accompanied us to the doctor, and they took care of anything we needed. They were a huge help in my time abroad. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a host family. It was a wonderful experience! I was located right in the middle of the city and absolutely loved living with my host family. My host family was really helpful in terms of learning Spanish and gave great insight into the city. |
| * Food: |
My host mother cooked excellent and traditional foods. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It would have been great if there had been even more experiences to meet Spanish students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Sevilla because it is such a small and comfortable city. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Remember that you will have to pay for the metro (which is not very expensive but just should be considered). |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Hispanic Studies 330 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Definitely do your best to meet the Spaniards and talk to them in Spanish. They want to help you and are wonderful resources! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be brave and put yourself out there in order to meet Spanish students. Have fun- take advantage of the resources MundoLengua has to offer! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Sevilla en su escenario |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Antonio Cuaresma |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | I loved this course. It was my most difficult course, but it was extremely useful to learn about the city I was living in from an excellent professor. We got to go on a lot of field trips around the city. I strongly recommend this course. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Historia Contemporanea de Espana |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Juan Infante |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This was a great course- so relevant to take modern Spanish history in Spain while you are learning about the country, culture, and history. It was a great course with lots of information that was applicable to the present. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
