Sevilla! Past Review

By (Fordham University) - abroad from 01/16/2012 to 05/10/2012 with

CIEE: Seville - Communication, New Media, and Journalism

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned valuable life skills and how to be my own person independently, without family or anything I'm familiar with around me. It was definitely worthwhile!

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Universidad de Sevilla
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses were great because they taught me a lot about the different culture in Spain, and introduced me to different things (art exhibits, cultural sites, etc.) that I probably wouldn't have known about or learned here in the states. I was learning even when I wasn't in the classroom.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program was very helpful; they were always there to assist us with whatever we needed, be it questions or recommendations about something. They definitely made my experience in Spain go a bit more smoothly, and the fact that they have cultural outings and different activities for the students helped as well.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed with a host family and they were great!

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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)

* 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? about 50 euros a week, which comes out to about 60 or 70 dollars.

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? Fluent
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
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? Avoid always surrounding yourself with Americans - it makes it easier to just speak in english the entire time and it takes away from practicing the language. If you do surround yourself with other study abroad students, try to minimize on the english or just speak in the language so you can improve it.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
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 people
  • The courses
  • The environment
* What could be improved?
  • The workload
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Nothing - I was prepared to expect new things