CIEE Gap Year Abroad in Seville, Spain – Language & Culture

I’m really glad I went on my CIEE program. Although it wasn’t without challenge, I look back on it as a positive experience. My first host family and I were not compatible and I ended up asking to switch host families. CIEE made the process really easy and alleviated a lot of my stress about switching. My advice is that if you have an inkling that you are not compatible with your family then you should tell the program as soon as possible. Even if you don’t switch or want to switch they can put your feelings into context (maybe it’s a matter of culture clash rather than a particular family) and help you decide what to do next. Once I switched host families my experience drastically improved. I loved my host family, made a lot of really close friends and had a ton of fun. I feel that because I faced certain challenges abroad, away from my family, in a different language and culture, those same challenges seem much less daunting now that I’m back in the US.

My GAP year in Spain thought me way more about myself than going straight to college ever would have. While living in Sevilla I met amazing, interesting people who helped shape who I am today, including my loving host family. I gained the incredible skill of speaking a second language and I felt more prepared for the next step in my life, college. Whenever anyone tells me that they're thinking about going abroad, without hesitation I say "GO." Travel let me be my true self and I will carry that with me wherever I go next.

The GAP year experience in Seville, Spain is one I'll never forget. It taught me to be independent, culturally sensitive, and adventurous. The people I met through CIEE have become some of the most important people in my life, and I will never take that for granted. I recommend the program to anyone! My language skills improved tremendously, as well as my overall knowledge of the country. Living and breathing the Spanish lifestyle from day to day led me to get to know my host city in ways I never thought possible. I loved Seville so much that I have returned for another study abroad experience in Spain. The experience has changed the way I view global education and its impact on students.

My time in Sevilla, Spain truly had a large impact on who I am today. I learned so much about myself, my peers and the amazing culture of Spain. The language programs that CIEE provide are incredible. My knowledge of the Spanish language grew significantly, and I learned so much about a culture that was so new to me when my plane landed in Sevilla. I made friends from all over the world, that I am still in touch with, and CIEE helps you to immerse yourself directly into the Spanish life. My home stay family was so kind and generous, and I became extremely close with my two host sisters. I became much more independent from my experience abroad, and had the opportunity to travel to 8 different countries over the course of the 4 months that I was there. There's no better place to spend your gap year than in Sevilla.