CIEE College Study Abroad in Seville, Spain

When else are you going to be able to live in a new country and see the world, while your only responsibility is to be a student? College is THE time to do this, don't kid yourself and think you can just travel when you're older. Even if it sets you back a semester, it is so worth it. The most rewarding part was seeing how much I changed from the beginning of my semester compared to the end. Not that I changed who I was as a person, but I gained so much experience and knowledge about myself, and what I am passionate about. I learned so much in those 5 months and it was amazing how much my Spanish improved.

It was always my dream to study abroad in a Spanish speaking country because I knew that was the best way to see the world and improve my use of Spanish. Thanks to my grandparents, I started traveling at a young age and I never want to stop. It makes you realize how much of the world you don't know about and all of the people that you haven't met. I want to see new cultures and try new food. I want to see the beauty in this world.

The number one best thing I gained from this experience that I would never change is my host family, who now feel like my actual family. I have never felt so welcomed and loved by complete strangers. They are the reason I want to take my parents to Spain and introduce them to my city and the amazing family that essentially adopted me and made me feel like one of them. It definitely wasn't easy at first, going into a new home with new expectations, all in a language that is not my own. But they were incredibly patient and kind, and without me realizing at first, made sure I had the best possible transition to Spanish life. I know they will always be in my life, and I am so lucky to have found them.

I reflect back on all the things I did and I feel so lucky to have had this experience. I was able to teach English to young children, travel to many new countries, see a bullfight, participate in three different cultural festivals, and meet some incredible people. If you are considering study abroad, you owe it to yourself to make it happen!

I studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain, through CIEE's Communication, New Media, and Journalism program. It was one of the few international programs that fulfilled graduation requirements for me at the University of Oregon, but I also liked that I could take classes at the University of Sevilla if I wanted to. At first, I was on the fence because I didn't know any other classmates who'd studied abroad here and I was keen on going to Latin America, but now I can't imagine my academic career without CNMJ. Not only did I enjoy the culture, food, and people of Sevilla, but the program connected me to countless opportunities that allowed me to be independent and to become immersed into my new community. I participated in local media workshops, worked on an independent thesis, had a language partner, traveled to Barcelona for a conference, traveled with my host family, and participated in an international film festival. All I had to do was ask.
The CNMJ classes were a gateway to Sevilla--as many of them included field trips and lessons on Spanish history. I'm still in contact with several professors, and am so happy I decided to do this program. I figured writing a review might be the best way to get other people to have experiences similar to mine--overall I give the CNMJ program a cien por cien.

Having never left the United States for more than 2 weeks, its sufficed to say that I was extremely nervous for my five month journey to Sevilla. I couldn't help but wonder if I had picked the right location, correct program, or if studying abroad was the right for me at all! Now having completed my study abroad journey, I wish on a daily basis that I could put my experience on repeat. Being that I had friends studying all over the globe through a series of programs, I am confident that CIEE International Business and Culture provides the optimal study abroad experience. CIEE's program was the perfect combination of gaining a unique cultural experience while still having an "at home" support system. From the moment I accepted my CIEE admissions to the last day of the program I had constant support, communication and access to CIEE's staff. CIEE was able to take a group of American students from all over the country and form a unique family that I am forever grateful for. They provided a series of cultural events to attend and made the assimilation to a new country as smooth as possible. The CIEE staff's love for Sevilla and dedication to creating a great student experience was apparent each and every day. Studying abroad is a huge decision and an unforgettable experience, and by choosing to be a part of this program I can guarantee that incoming students will leave Sevilla already planning their return trip.

My time in Sevilla with CIEE was truly life changing. I felt that my program provided us with so many opportunities to explore the city and region, and we even had an immersion weekend in Morocco! There was always an activity available if we wanted to participate, and through these experiences I was able to learn so much more about the culture than I would have on my own. The absolute best part of my experience was my host family, a mother and daughter, who made my semester so fun and comfortable- they are like real family to me now! I enjoyed most of my classes at the university, and aside from those couple less-exciting classes, this program was great from every angle.

CIEE's IBC program was a one of a kind study abroad experience that I will forever treasure. I was looking for a program where I could immerse myself in the culture and language, meet lots of new people from both Spain and elsewhere, and challenge myself academically and personally. This program proved to be everything I was hoping for and more. The home stay component and excursions unique to CIEE participants were by far the best parts of this program and I can't imagine my experience without them. I still keep in touch with my home stay family and the lifelong friends I met on the program, and I can't wait to go back to Seville!

CIEE IBC was the best decision I made for an abroad program. Not only was everything very well organized but the staff was outstanding at providing support and guidance throughout the semester. The home-stay aspect was the most valuable part of the program because it provided a true cultural immersion in Seville and dramatically helped me improve my Spanish. I have made lifelong bonds during the program with both American and Spanish students, and I don't think that would have been possible without the support of CIEE.

I had an AMAZING time in Sevilla and I can honestly say studying there through CIEE was the best decision I could have ever made! It made me grow on so many levels. I was able to learn about many different cultures with the 5 months that I had to travel around Europe and even to Morocco, Africa. When abroad I actually met a Spaniard who I am still currently dating. I think having him allowed me to experience the culture much more in depth. I was able to visit small Spanish towns all around Sevilla and I was able to communicate with locals which further helped me advance my Spanish skills. I met many people and I learned so many things that I would have never learned without studying here.

After my first experience abroad when I was 17 and then a summer abroad as a foreign exchange student when I was 18, I expanded my horizons further by living abroad for my entire junior year of college through the University of Sevilla program in Seville, Spain. The University of Sevilla has agreements with many domestic universities for study abroad in Sevilla and I went while I was at Michigan State University. What makes this program different from some other study abroad programs is that all the classes we took were on campus at the University of Sevilla and they were all in Spanish.

Our group was fairly large and included students who were in Sevilla for an entire year, like myself, and others who were there for a semester. We all arrived in Sevilla independently and some on different days, and then had a collective orientation in Sevilla where we reviewed some cultural information but primarily studied intense Spanish. The perquisite for the program was some fluency in Spanish, which we all had, some to more degree than others. The intense Spanish classes lasted about two weeks, during which time we were all getting accustomed to living with our host families or arranging other housing.

Originally, we were all placed with families but we were given the option to find our own housing if we desired. I moved out of my host family after a few weeks and into a boarding house. After a month there I moved into an apartment with two other students in the program and our piso (apartment) housed several students throughout the year who were in transition from a family or other living arrangements.

Our classes at the University of Sevilla were amazing – they were all in Spanish and taught by Spanish professors. All the exams, papers, homework – everything – was in Spanish. This was not a sugar coated version of Spanish classes, but actual courses at the University – like an agricultural class that taught all the ways to get olives from olive trees….reading El Mio Cid and Cien Anos de Soledad in Spanish, with papers and discussions in Spanish. Assimilating into life at the University meant meeting professors after class in the bar for office hours to discuss homework or questions. We met many students from other programs but none of them had the classes actually at the University and taught by university professors. This program was the real deal.

While we studied a lot and worked hard at class, the social aspects of living in Sevilla were phenomenal. We had a lot of vacation and most of the students traveled all over Europe on break, as well as throughout Spain. It was a long year and when I was over we were all ready to go home. Sevilla is an enchanting city and the University was wonderful. On my most recent visit to Seville, I actually ran into the coordinator of the program. It was a blast from the past and reminded me of how small Sevilla really can be, while having so much to offer, back then and still today.