Semester in Seville

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.