Largely a disappointment Past Review
By wmstudent2013 (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 01/18/2012 to 05/20/2012 with
William and Mary: Seville - William and Mary in Seville
Unfortunately, I largely regret my decision to study abroad in Seville. I took advantage of several cheap travel opportunities (mostly in Spain, but also to other countries), which was a great way to learn more about the country and the world in general. I also took a class with Spaniards pass/fail, which was wonderful as it wasn't oriented toward foreign students (i.e., it was more challenging) and was an enjoyable, interesting course. However, due to my circumstances (though I realize that I could have prevented or improved many of them), I feel that my semester would have been better spent at William and Mary.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
In general, the courses in Sevilla are not nearly as challenging as their equivalents at William and Mary (I would say that only one of the four courses I took, a 400-level lit course, was a close approximation). |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The university is a bit disorganized, but the staff in the international office are friendly and willing to help. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I would advise future students on this program not to be afraid of switching homestays if they are unhappy and have problems with their host families. I ended up being the only student in the house (meaning I was completely isolated from the rest of the group), and my host mother was incredibly condescending, often rude and critical, and made me feel like an unwelcome burden. It could just be my perception or some sort of cultural barrier, but I got the impression that aside from making meals (which I always ate alone, except for lunch three times a week at most) and doing my laundry she wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. Having studied abroad previously, I know that this is not at all the way a host family experience should be. Don't feel guilty for making sure you get the most out of the experience. |
| * Food: |
If you're a health nut, be prepared for a very different concept of "healthy" food. Generally fine, but sometimes heavy on fried food and lacking in vegetables. |
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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? |
No
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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) |
Unforeseen expenses: You have to take the metro to the university, which will set you back about 1.5 euros per day. I also didn't have Internet access in the apartment, so I ended up buying a wireless Internet device and/or purchasing things at cafes in order to use their wifi. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Not sure |
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 |
While most (if not all) of your courses will be in Spanish, you take courses with other American students; therefore, you will probably end up speaking A LOT of English. Unless you communicate frequently with your host family, you probably won't feel truly immersed in the language. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | HISP 390 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | Seville is a large city (fourth largest in Spain) and is not a good study abroad destination for anyone who prefers a calmer setting and friendlier people. I will repeat that students should not be afraid to ask to change aspects of the program that aren't working for them (host family, internship, etc.). Though you should give everything a chance and be open to new experiences, don't make the same mistake I did and try to live with a situation that doesn't seem to be improving, because you will most likely regret it. |
