Kathryn Cacchioli is a student at Rowan University and an ISA Featured Blogger. She is currently studying abroad with ISA in Sevilla, Spain.
1) The Student Demographic is Super Diverse
While attending Universidad de Pablo Olavide (UPO) I have noticed that the campus is way more diverse than my home university. Within the first week of class I was able to meet students from all over the world- from England to Germany to Australia! Class discussions are awesome because you are able to learn about other cultures and points of view when the students have such diverse backgrounds.
2) Textbooks!
What if I told you that the cheapest textbook I had to purchase was only 3.60€?
Most of my classes required a textbook that had to be purchased through the university’s copistería, which is a store strictly for printing/making copies of documents, that is conveniently located on campus. Buying textbooks from the copistería lowers the cost of textbooks because you are buying copies of a textbook rather than an actual book.
3) International Activities
Every week the International Center sends an email with lists of activities that encourage international students to participate in on-campus events. Some of the activities include playing soccer, treasure hunts, and trivia. Attending these events is a great way to meet people, whether you want to meet Spaniards or other international students.
4) Vending Machine Coffee
There are a lot of vending machines throughout campus but there is one type of vending machine that gives you life: the coffee vending machine. For .40€ you can purchase a café con leche, my personal favorite, as well as a range of other warm beverages- from hot chocolate to tea.
The cafe con leche is perfect if you have classes during siesta; I actually like to think of it as a SUPER siesta in a cup because of its extreme caffeine content.
5) Campus Style
At my home university it is completely normal to wear yoga/sweatpants/leggings (anything but jeans) paired with a comfy shirt. However, in Sevilla no one really seems to abide by America’s comfy college chill style; rather, everyone’s outfits are fashionable and well accessorized. Sevillians are definitely stylish people.
Want to read more about Sevilla? Check out “4 Packing Tips for a Semester Abroad in Sevilla.”