CIEE International Business + Culture in Seville, Spain

I had a wonderful experience studying abroad in Seville, Spain through CIEE. The staff was helpful and kind, and clearly cared about our safety and wellbeing. I appreciated the consistent communication to program participates and how the staff showed that they were readily available to chat regarding any concerns you may have had, from housing to academics. For anyone who is worried about doing a homestay with a host family, I understand why you would be nervous, because I was too. However, I highly recommend doing a homestay, as this is the best way to learn and become integrated into the local culture. While it is important to get to know your host city, I believe that, if you have budgeted for it, you MUST travel around Europe, or even just within Spain. I am so happy that I got to experience a new city almost every weekend because I feel that it enriched my cultural experience beyond what I was expecting to get out of my time abroad. Take advantage of program-run excursions, too, though, because they are fun and well-organized, and takes the burden of personal travel plans off of your shoulders for a couple of trips! I think my biggest pieces of advice for anyone thinking of traveling abroad would be to always stay on guard and look after your belongings, look after your peers, always make sure your phone is charged, and plan ahead for your weekend travels, including flights, lodging, and a rough itinerary of places you want to go/things you want to see. Finally, don't be afraid to take a solo trip somewhere. I would recommend doing this once you have a little bit of travel under your belt, though, because sometimes traveling alone can be nerve-wracking.

My time abroad with CIEE was one of the best times of my life! I stayed with a host family and learned more Spanish than I ever did taking classes in school. I got to experience Spain in such an authentic way, and even more, in Seville! It's a place filled with so much culture and history. I took part in CIEE's intercambio program, and was able to practice my Spanish once a week with a Spanish student. It was good I had this opportunity becuase I got to see Seville through the eyes of a local. CIEE provided endless amounts of support and many excursions. I even visited Morocco! One of the things I appreciated about the program is the required mid-semester check in. It made me realize that I wanted to do more things and take advantage of my time being there.

I loved that I went to Seville in the Spring because I was able to experience Semana Santa and Feria. I have such amazing memories of Feria- what a week! Every one was dressed up dancing sevillanas and sipping rebujitos in casetas! And the fireworks on the last day were the most beautiful I've ever seen.

As a black woman, one of the concerns I had was going from a very diverse city in the Bay Area to a homogeneously Spanish city, but the people in Seville were all very sweet and helpful. It was definitely a culture shock for me, but I learned that the people I interacted with learned as much about my culture and experience as I did theirs. Overall, I highly suggest going to Seville through CIEE. You will not be disappointed!

My title says it all. My study abroad experience with CIEE in Seville was absolutely the best summer of my life. I always knew I wanted to study abroad in a Spanish speaking country, and my university offers programs in Chile and Spain. After my friend highly recommended the Seville program, I made my choice.

I arrived in Seville and immediately met my host family. They were incredibly friendly, accommodating, and excited to meet me. They welcomed me into their home and really made me feel like I had a home in Seville. I still keep in touch with them and plan on visiting next year.

The orientation that CIEE requires was extremely helpful. My orientation guide, Ana, showed us around the city and made sure we always got back to our homes safely after each night. I quickly learned my way around the city and learned the basics of how to live in Seville.

The staff at CIEE really made my experience what it was. The program director, Virginia, is so knowledgeable, passionate, and friendly. She really cared about each student individually and got to know us all personally. The professors that taught our classes were wonderful as well.

The trips we took during the program were informative and eye opening. I saw many different parts of Spain and Morocco too! Our tour guides knew everything I could want to know, and I always felt safe.

Altogether, this program is a MUST. I bettered my Spanish, broadened my horizons, made life-long friends, and really found myself. I have already recommended this program to my friends, and one is currently studying in Seville while the other will be there this summer.

Thank you, CIEE Seville, for giving me the best summer of my life!

My semester in Sevilla was one of the best experiences of my life! When I left the U.S., I was nervous and anxious about living so far out of my comfort zone. However, CIEE offered so much support and gave me opportunities to go beyond my comfort zone and truly experience Spanish culture. I'm most grateful to CIEE for the opportunity to live with a host family. I absolutely LOVE my host family! They took me to extended family gatherings and day trips, we ate dinner together every night, and they went out of their way to make sure I had an enriching cultural experience. Some of my favorite memories are going to Semana Santa, Feria, and a horse show with my amazing host family. We're still in touch, and I'm going back to visit them in a couple months!

CIEE also hosted lots of day trips and events to make sure we had the chance to see other parts of Spain (and Morocco!). The program also connected me to an "intercambio" (language exchange partner.) My intercambio and I quickly became friends and would spend time walking around El Centro (city center) in Sevilla, eyeing which bakery we wanted to visit that day.

Overall, I gained confidence and stronger Spanish skills, expanded my worldview, and most importantly, found a second family. Gracias, CIEE!

I have loved participating in the Business & Society Program at CIEE in Seville. Not only do I get the opportunity to improve my Spanish speaking abilities with courses entirely in Spanish, but I also am provided with a plethora of resources to help me succeed. I chose CIEE because my courses transfer directly to my university as business school requirements and because everyone who has gone on the CIEE program before me absolutely loved their experience. CIEE also has detailed schedules with loads of activities and trips so that you are never bored. I love the staff and my homestay is perfect. Highly recommend.

My study abroad experience in Seville with the International Business and Culture Program was fantastic. From the moment I arrived in Seville, the CIEE staff team welcomed me, and picked us up from the airport. Next all the study abroad arrivals got onto a coach bus with our CIEE coordinators and they dropped us off at locations where we met with our host families. It was amazing to meet my host family right away. I did not know much Spanish, but it did not matter because my host family guided me throughout the learning process. Fortunately, my host family was incredible and welcoming! They told me right away that English was not to be spoken in the house because I needed to learn Spanish. I enjoyed this challenge and it helped me learn the basics of the language fast. Also, every student in the International Business and Culture had to take a two-week Spanish intensive three hour a day language class! My teacher was outstanding and made learning Spanish exciting and fun. This class allowed me to take three more additional Spanish language classes during the regular semester with ease! Practicing my Spanish with my host family was fun and exciting. I became very close to my host family and they became close with me! I enjoyed eating three delicious meals a day with my Spanish family that my host mom made. I also went to many family birthday parties, and events where I was always introduced as a son or brother, which was fun! I also went on family vacations with my family. I had a memorable time spending time with my family in their beach home in Huelva. I also spent much time exploring Seville with every member of the family! We even had family dinners at their favorite restaurants. I am so fortunate to have another set of parents and siblings in my life, who taught me their culture. Unlike other study abroad programs, this program gave each student an integrative cultural experience where I was able to become a member of a family, while actively taking part in the Andalusia culture. I especially loved Semana Santa and Feria. During Semana Santa, I was able to appreciate the beautiful religious processions that took place in all the streets. I even was able to walk aside one that my host mom and sister participated in! That was my favorite week of my study abroad experience, because I was able to celebrate the Sevillano tradition, while being proud of my own Catholic ideology. Feria, a huge celebration that is celebrated by all sevillanos was also a great time. I took a leap of faith and accepted an invitation to dance to one of the flamenco sevillano dances with my Spanish family and friends. After I indulged in fantastic food and drink that originates within the Feria tradition. My host sister lead me around to each, caseta (tent) which were all adorned as properly as houses. When we hoped to caseta to caseta we were given graciously welcomed and given abundant food and drink. During Semana Santa and Feria, I was introduced to all my brother and sister’s friends! The wonderful part about this program is that each student is fully immersed around the Spanish language. CIEE staff also set up numerous excursions to explore the city of Seville, and other Spanish cities like Cordoba. These excursions were an excellent opportunity to spend time and meet people from other american universities around the nation. One incredible excursion was our fourday trip to Morocco. In Morocco I was exposed to a culture that was totally different from mine. We lived with an Islamic host family who only spoke Arabic. It was a fun and adventurous time. I have developed virtuous friendships with many people from other universities throughout the United States because of this program. Some of my favorite moments abroad were meeting up with these friends to enjoy delicious café con leche, and tapas. Dancing the night away in discotecas, or watching the sunset by Rio de Guadalquivir was breathtaking. Fortunately, I was able to travel to many neighboring European countries because my program did not hold classes on Thursdays adding to the all inclusive experience of exploring the world. I love my host family and the friends that I were able to make abroad. I am so grateful to have had this profound experience, which I will remember for the rest of my life! Sevilla es mi casa!

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!

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.