Universidad de Sevilla (US)

I took all of my course at the actually university. I took two courses under Cursos para extranjeros which is the closest you will get to taking courses with regular spanish students if your spanish level isnt high enough. you take these courses with other americans and its in spanish taught by professors from the univeristy. I also enrolled in 2 regualr university courses with spanish students. If your level of spanish is very advanced they are very worthyour time. be prepared to do no work all semester and then study like hell to take exams. The classes arent hard as most people said. You just need to keep on top of independant reading. I did all the reading int eh last month of school i was ok.

Be prepared to deal with the lack of resources availabe in the public library and the univeristy library. there are about 50 books.

Courses through the CIEE Liberal Arts track were small classes with all American students. I was hoping to meet Spanish students through my classes, but I ended up meeting them through different settings so that was okay, although I think people would have benefited from integrated classes if possible. All of the courses were taught completely in Spanish (many of the teachers knew very little English), and all essay exams and papers were in Spanish. The classes developed my reading and writing skills.

Group projects would have been beneficial because they would have given us a chance to speak more in class (not simply to discuss and ask questions, but to present a project in a formal setting).

Take general courses in the university as opposed to the "Cursos para Extranjeros" program that the university provides. In the general courses, you'll have more of a choice and be able to meet local and international students. Keep in mind though that the majority of university courses last for a year rather than a semester.

The "Cursos para Extranjeros" should challenge American student more. The program should also separate students out based on language level -- you had students in your class with 1-2 years of Spanish and others with near fluency. I would also suggest requiring students to take grammar and translation courses.

Take courses that interest you, don't worry about courses that directly follow your major. After all, the main point of going abroad is to become fluent and develop your personal goals and interests. In short, experiment and have fun, but at the same time be sure to take the opportunity and experience seriously.

More dedication and particpation by Spanish students. I wouldn't bet on this happening any time soon though, as their system is very different from the elite competition and discpline found at top US universities.

The courses are very much lecture and exam oriented. Grades are solely based on your performance on the exams.

Try visiting the International Student Affairs office on the Palos de la Frontera side of the building to sign-up for a language exchange with another student. Another option for you is visiting the Foreign Languages department on la Reina Mercedes to meet students interested your language(s)/culture(s).

the courses SECE are ridiculous.if you want to do absolutely nothing these classes are for you!

treat the exchange students equally with respect to non-exchange students. this year was by far the easiest year i have ever had.i would have liked it to be a little more intense.