I love Spain, but not going to college there! Past Review
By A student (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 01/18/2012 to 05/20/2012 with
William and Mary: Seville - William and Mary in Seville
Yes it was very worthwhile. I think I gained some important life experiences, some confidence, and more of a sense of adulthood.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The resources at the University of Pablo de Olavide were quite disappointing. The library had few books, fewer computers, unhelpful and often rude employees, and printing was extremely difficult and expensive. However, I liked many of the professors I had and the classes were often interesting. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
When I was sick, Mundolengua really had my back. A woman from the office actually went to the doctor with me and made sure I was taken care of - I really appreciated that. However, the Mundolengua class (Historia de Sevilla) was a complete disappointment. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The food (in general) was good, my host family was nice and accommodating. However, it never felt like a real "family" experience. I always felt like I was more in a boarding home/bed and breakfast than a member of their family. |
| * Food: |
The food in Spain is great! Most of the time my host-mom's food was excellent, however, sometimes she didn't cook and we had frozen dinners to eat...which were awful. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Although I, obviously, am an American and feel very much like an American, I felt pretty integrated into Spanish culture. I loved learning more about Spanish culture and the lifestyle, and while I was there I felt like I was part of Spain. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got sick twice while abroad, and the second incidence was much more severe. Susana from the Mundolengua program office went to the doctor with me, helped me negotiate all of the insurance difficulties, and pick up my prescription. |
| * Safety: |
One of the girls in our group was stabbed...but otherwise I felt safe? |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
I spent most of my money on travel and just tried not to spend money otherwise. |
| * 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? | I don't know. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't by random junk just to have it - you'll be in that country for a while. Take the time to compare stores and prices, to make sure you're buying what you really want. |
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? | 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? | 200 level |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 the University of Pablo de Olavide is not up to my standards compared to my school in the US. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Historia de Sevilla |
| Course Department: | Foreign Students/Mundolengua Program |
| Instructor: | Antonio Cuarezma |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | There were field trips involved in this trip, but most of the time they were rendered absolutely dull and uninteresting because of the instructor. It was really unfortunate. I was also frustrated with Antonio's lack of teaching ability, sense of how to organize a class and assignments, and his completely mysterious grading practices. I have no idea how he determines grades. Honestly, it was a class that almost everyone in my program signed up for and it was one we all loathed. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
El Cine Espanol en Democracia |
| Course Department: | International students |
| Instructor: | Samuel Fernandez Pichel |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This class was wonderful! It was interesting, provided much-needed insight into Spanish culture and how it is represented in Spanish cinema. Samuel is fantastic - very interesting, funny, and intelligent - he really knows his stuff. I also felt that the workload and expectations were appropriate. I would highly recommend it. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Translation 381 |
| Course Department: | International Students |
| Instructor: | Veronica |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This was a really interesting class. It taught me a lot about Spanish, language in general, and how translation actually works. The work was interesting and fun, and the professor is wonderful. She's extremely enthusiastic and just, wonderful. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
