Verto Education - Start College in Seville,Spain

My experience at Verto in Seville was horrible. The first month and a half of the semester was nice, being able to experience a new country by living in it is an amazing opportunity, but soon started some problems with my roommate (I had a roommate already assigned to me but the staff messed it up at the last second so the girl that became my roommate was not known to me until 3 days before move in). It got to the point where I had to leave the student residency and live with a host family for the rest of the time I was there. I had received nonstop harassment from 2 girls with texts threatening me and my family as well as them trashing my room and stealing clothes and my dishes that I had bought to share but while in the process of moving to the host family my things were stolen. I had begged the verto staff for help and no one was able to help except two staff members who had helped me go to a host family. I felt completely helpless and the verto staff did basically nothing. I had a few classes with these girls and I had asked for weeks for the verto staff if it was possible to adjust my schedule (switching two classes for different hours which would have been a simple switch based on how my class schedule was set.) I understand there are rules that have to be followed in terms of scheduling and classes, but based on the circumstances I was i felt that it was just that I could have help with this. Instead I was faced with ridicule. As for the academics, the teachers were very good especially Professor Carlos, he really wanted to see every student succeed and he showed me a kindness that I could not find in other staff members during the things that were happening to me in the second half of the semester. Another problem with this program is that if you do not go to one of their partner universities it can be hard to make a solid group of friends. I now study in Portugal full time and I’ve realized a huge difference between European students and American students. The difference I saw was that with the American students it was very cliquey, if you didn’t go to their school then they wouldn’t want to talk to you, with Europeans they are normally with open arms to welcome new people. It was similar with the staff, the Spanish staff were very helpful with everything and made an effort to put themselves out there for us to be comfortable but I cannot say the same for the American staff.

I have had such a good experience so far with Verto Education in Seville Spain. I have been able to travel throughout Spain and Europe on the weekends and during breaks. I also have gained real, valuable friendships. Me and my roommate in my host home have gotten so close and we plan to do other trips after finishing our semester. Overall, I have had such a good experience here in Seville, Spain. The city is quite versatile and walkable so there us much to do and you won't get bored. From the Guadalquivir river to all the cafes to the museums and night life, there is always something to do.

- [ ] As my second and final semester with Verto comes to an end, I would like to say a few words about the impact that this experience has had on me. Spain was only an after thought for me after arriving at my first semester in Costa Rica. I had heard some of my new best friends talking about ding a second semester in Seville, but at that point, I was pretty sure that I was going to return home to little ol Wichita, Kansas and enrol in community college. I figured that I would have had enough traveling in by December, and that home would be calling my name. But boy am I glad that Seville came along. As the weeks passed in Costa Rica, I quickly realized that I wasnt ready to leave you (the friends that somewhere along the way had become my family) all. I knew I needed more. Upon arriving in Seville, I was worried that I would miss Costa Rica and compare everything to my time there. At first, the differences were apparent, but I quickly realized that this different was providing me with a whole new world of opportunities, experiences, and friendships. The small little Ikea dorm that felt cold at first, soon became filled with pictures and postcards from my weekend trips, and with warm laughter from my new friends. Room 109 will forever have my heart, and the next Vertoans that inhabit it should consider themselves lucky. Although the constant traveling each weekend left me tired and sometimes cranky, I wouldn’t have done anything differently. To the beautiful city of Seville, thank you for welcoming and humbling me at the same time. I finally stopped walking in the bike lanes unknowingl, and my teacher even said that he doesn’t consider me a tourist anymore. I will miss walking through Parque de Maria Luisa every morning on my way to school, and getting blueberries every morning in the Carrefour on my way to class. To the Verto Staff, you all have exceeded my expectations on every level.

Verto in Seville is very freeing. I personally chose to live with a host family who are some of the most fun people i’ve ever met. They have a family with dogs and kids and we eat meals together every day and go out on occasion too. They have made me feel like part of the family and I am grateful for them. On weekend I go and take trips to different Spanish cities. Classes are unique and I would definitely recommend the program. They offer lots of different opportunity for financial aid and the program is diverse.

This program was awesome for my son. He has been able to meet awesome people that I’m hoping he will continue to keep in touch with for years to come. The experience that he had in Spain will help to continue to shape his bright future. I feel that this program allowed him to learn more about himself and grow in areas that he wouldn’t have if he did not study abroad. Not only has he had the opportunity to immerse himself in another culture but also to be paid as a photographer while he was there.

This experience changed my life in all the right ways! I have grown from this experience so much more than expected and I’m just getting that closer to my dream and I would not have done that without this program. This has been a blessing to me and trust me academics wise I’ve learned so much and For some reason it’s always felt so difficult for me to understand concepts with subjects but the teachers here just know how to teach right. I’ve also met life long friends and it’s just amazing all around:) I love it here!

My time abroad with verto education has been incredible and I will never forget it. Verto and its teachers singlehandedly reinvigorated my passion for education. In my 15 years of being a student, I've never had such perfect grades and had the ability to participate in extracurricular activities while continuing to travel to other places in Europe. The Verto team really goes above and beyond to make your experience as smooth as possible (visas, housing & food, commuting). I love Verto and I would specifically recommend it to anybody who is questioning the path of a college education. I took two gap years before this and now I plan to obtain a doctorate in the future. That's how amazing it is.

This semester in Sevilla has been exceptional. My teachers are not only knowledgeable in their fields, but are genuine and amazing human beings. They have made taking in the sights and history of this city so much easier and have found their own ways to tie it back to what we learn in class. I think the greatest example of this is the way that my current English teacher encourages us to go out into new environments throughout the city during class to fully imerse ourselves in Sevillan culture. An overall amazing learning journey.