Incredible Past Review
By Maria Melgar-Garcia (University of Hartford) - abroad from 01/16/2017 to 05/20/2017 with
API (Academic Programs International): Seville - Universidad Pablo de Olavide
You will meet all sorts of people, but will also learn what kind of person you are. Going abroad changed my life for the better, and it was definitely worthwhile!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
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 |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family definitely helped me feel super comfortable, and helped make Sevilla feel like my home away from home. |
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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? |
Super helpful in giving me enough information, and making sure I was given proper attention and care. API also gave me the information for translator services, which was very nice! |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
API was amazing! Super helpful while I was applying, and while I was abroad. The staff were super kind and helpful, and made my experience amazing. |
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) |
Sevilla was super cheap, but you have to be smart about what you buy and where you go. Student discounts are usually available when visiting touristy places. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan ahead of time, and plan it well because you can save yourself a lot more money than planning things last minute! |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate Spanish |
| 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? | Spark up conversation with your host family, and definitely workers like your waiters. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? |
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? | That it was going to be so cold! Many of us were deceived that it was going to be warm right of the bat, so that caught us off guard for a little while but we were able to adjust. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
