SAIIE Sevilla Fall 2018 Past Review
By Paul Tietz (University of Wisconsin - River Falls) - abroad from 09/19/2018 to 12/14/2018 with
UW-Platteville Education Abroad at the Spanish-American Institute of International Education (SAIIE)
100% worthwhile. Appreciated the opportunity to learn about Spain's culture, and specific things I'll miss are my host family, using the Euro after never using it before, using 24-hour time instead of AM/PM, being able to travel so easily, hearing Spanish all the time, and walking everywhere
Review Photos
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. |
5/5 Overall educational rating. Loved having small classes in SAIIE and larger ones at the Universidad de Sevilla |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
5/5 for the SAIIE Office. They did a fantastic job! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Loved my host family. Couldn't imagine a better way to do housing in Sevilla |
| * Food: |
Host family provided great food all semester |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program helps a lot with cultural integration, but it's all up to individual students how invested they are in local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No health issues |
| * Safety: |
Very safe all semester |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Couldn't imagine a better study abroad program than SAIIE. Had a fantastic time and would recommend it to everyone! |
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 is a very low-cost city. Restaurants were always more expensive when we traveled elsewhere |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably 40-50 euros per week, most being spent on ice cream |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Having at least a basic budget is helpful, and if money is more of a concern, be sure to set some aside to have for the last weekend or two for traveling. |
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 |
Constant 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? | 3rd year university |
| 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? | Meet local students early on! Watch tv shows with your host family! |
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? | Restaurants and servers function a lot differently than the US. Take every opportunity to travel because the program ends so quickly! |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
