sevilla - not what i expected, but still a wonderful experience Past Review
By Lauren P (Neuroscience, Hispanic Studies, The College of William and Mary) for
William and Mary: Seville - William and Mary in Seville
i love the time i spent in spain! My program staff was amazing and the students i studied with are now some of my best friends. that said, this was not the experience i was hoping for or anticipating. I certainly improved my spanish, but i don't think i gained as many skills as i could have under a different structure and i am disappointed that i never really made lasting connections with any locals. i would not take this experience back, but i do think it could have been more what i was hoping for from a different program (perhaps in a different country).
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I have absolutely no complaints about Mundolengua or its staff. The staff of the university's center for foreign students was also nice and always there, but occaisionally let me down in terms of helpgfulness. Generally pretty good though. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The location of my housing was wonderful. It was a bit of a hike to get to school, but very predictable at least in terms of commute time. I was right next to the center so all cultural, nightlife, etc. events were always very close by. I generally always felt safe in my neighborhood. The sidewalks were always very dirty though. My host mom was kind, but not the most engaging of hosts. She always made sure we had our clothes washed on time and always made sure that we had more than enough to eat (bordering on too much at meals). She did a wonderful job taking care of us and did make suggestions to us about what to see and do, but I wouldn't say that we developed any special bond. |
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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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| 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? | Plan on paying for the metro to get to and from class each week. Also, though a cell phone is not an absolute necessity, I felt much safer knowing that I always had the option of calling a friend if needed, and it was a great way to make plans and stay organized within groups. Pay as you go phones are very reasonable, but do watch what you spend because it can add up if you're long-winded. Also, obviously the more you travel, the more you spend, both in transportation costs but also in sightseeing fees, dining expenses and for lodging. Consider traveling more regionally if you are trying to save money. this can be just as rewarding if not more so than travelling by plane all the time to big and faraway well known destinations. The smaller destinations have a lot of character and I always seemed to be surprised at how great those trips were. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | HISP 389 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
having had most classes with americans made it difficult to be completely immersed in Spanish. I chose classes all in Spanish but still spoke English all the time in the hallways and with my American friends outside of class |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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