Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The most exciting and memorable time of my life. Past Review

By (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 01/20/2012 to 05/20/2012 with

William and Mary: Seville - William and Mary in Seville

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I became a more independent and confident person. I realized I could really travel on my own and gained a better appreciation for the cultures around me.

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.

I thought the classes were interesting, and the teachers were good. I would have liked to have received more feedback throughout the program on my classes, but I think that was part of the teaching style of Spanish universities.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Mundo lengua needs to have more familiarity with our health insurance package through William and Mary. A lot of students went to the doctor and had to pay 100 euros out of pocket - which is not required by the insurance policy set up through the school.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had to switch houses due to a poor match with my first host family. It really needs to be stressed that homestays should not have smokers. Both homestays I lived in had smokers and I felt that I was exposed to a lot of second hand smoke, which really bothered me. I felt that my host family was just interested in profiting financially from hosting international students. My roommate and I were two of six international students staying at the house.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Very poorly. I had to go to the doctor when I got to spain because I had a severe cold, and the program did not have enough people on staff to take me immediately, nor did they have any familiarity with the wm health insurance we were given.

* Safety:

A good friend of mine was harassed in the park. While it was really upsetting to have seen that happen to her - I felt safe my entire stay in seville.

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

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)

I think depending on how much you want to travel you need a lot more.

* 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? overall 4,000
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Really focus on thinking of the price of what you are buying in American dollars. Since the exchange rate is not that strong for the American dollar in Europe you can easily spend a lot more then you think you are spending in american dollars just because it does not seem like that much in euros.

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

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? above 300 level
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? Make spanish friends!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • The other students that were on the program. The trips to Morocco and Barcelona were very well done as well.
* What could be improved?
  • The communication between WM and Mundo Lengua. The stress of no smoking homestays, and an overall improvement on homestays and matching.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That getting health care was such a difficult task.