A year of adventure in Sevilla Past Review
By A student (Linfield College) - abroad from 08/31/2015 to 05/12/2016 with
SSA Education Abroad: Seville - Semester, Year or Summer in Seville
Study abroad is the most worthwhile thing I did while in college. I feel like it is one of those things that everyone should do, especially the people that feel they don't need to or don't want to. I learned so much about myself, I challenged myself, I explored new places, met new people and improved my Spanish. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience and something that I will value for my entire life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff that work in the Sevilla office are so helpful and friendly-they made my integration into Spanish life a breeze. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family welcomed me into their lives and treated me like a daughter! I feel so grateful to have a second family in Sevilla! |
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Integrating with the local culture is difficult but once accomplished it makes a huge difference. Making Spanish friends is vital to becoming integrated in the culture! |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Whether it was 3pm or 3am, I never felt unsafe wandering the streets of Sevilla! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Spanish Studies Abroad was the base of my amazing year abroad. They helped me at every step of the application process, to the visa process, to actually buying plane ticket and arriving in Spain. Everyone, both in Spain and the US, was so friendly and made the entire process very easy. |
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) |
Living on a student's budget is so easy in Sevilla! The essentials are covered in program costs, so anything one spends is just for the extras. It is certainly easier if you have a bigger budget, but keeping the budget tight is easy when food and drinks are so cheap! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | maybe 50 Euro a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Set up a bank account that is specific for study abroad, save as much money as you can, and then be okay with spending every penny in that account! Also, having a debit card that does not charge for international fees is super helpful. |
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 |
We had a Spanish Only Policy that was enforced by professors and the staff! It definitely helped me increase my Spanish skills. |
| 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? | Spanish 302 |
| 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? | Set the language on your phone and computer to Spanish so that you can get that extra little bit of immersion each day! And even if people talk to you in English, reply to them in Spanish. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had known how many opportunities there are! I was so blind to how many offerings the program has so I did not take advantage of a lot of the opportunities during my first semester. Getting involved during the first semester would have helped me immerse myself more in the culture at a quicker pace. |
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. |
