SUMMER 2023 SEO ALUMNI
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CARLA MARTINEZ
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
My EP was traveling abroad to Japan with CIEE, where I was able to learn about Japanese culture, food and most importantly the language. During My trip abroad I learned a lot about the language but also learned about the traditions and how important manners are. I was able to connect them to American and Dominican mannerisms and traditions as well. Learning Japanese was definitely a challenge especially when it came to hiragana but because I was in intro level, I didn't really have to write in hiragana but I was able to do my presentations in romaji.
I actually really enjoyed my time both at the hotel and with my host family. For my first two weeks I lived at the hotel and that's where I made a lot of friends and a lot of good memories. But I also made a lot of important memories with my host family. I personally really love my host family and I still keep in contact with them, I hope to continue to be in contact with them for the rest of my life. My time living with the host family went pretty easy for me since I was fortunate enough to my host mom spoke English, but even with my whole siblings and my host dad who didn't speak English we all got along because there was like always a sort of understanding of like kindness and they always made me feel welcomed into the family. I feel that its was really important on my side that I always had an open mind and mindfulness that I was in a new country so things aren't going to be the same as back home. when I was with my host family I didn't do as much adventuring after my excursions because I always wanted to get back to my host family and my host siblings and spend time with them so that was just something that I did different compared to my other peers
What is a typical day like during your EP?
Throughout the week, everyday (for the hotel rotation) I would wake up and head down to breakfast. After breakfast I would head to the train station with friends and travel to the Kezai Center which is where they held our classes. Class would last about four hours, and after our lunch break we would go on excursions. Excursions would range from day to day like visiting temples,shrines, gardens, tea ceremony, and making sweets. After the excursion we would have free time where we can adventure all of Kyoto in buddies, or in my case, i was always with a group of friends.
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
One of the biggest challenges for me was Saving money and keeping track of my spending habits. in Japan like a lot of the things are as expensive as they will be back in America but the money does add up so I would just take that into consideration.
One of my other biggest challenges was there were a lot of white people in my program that held a lot of privilege back in America and because of their privileged mindsets and lifestyles it was really hard for me to not let what they were saying about my friends and I affect us. Especially since we had a diversity panel and a lot of the kids who were predominantly white looked at the people of color for answers throughout the whole panel but they're not even two days later we found out that they were talking about us because of our race gender Etc behind our backs. I think that it just took adjusting because a lot of the kids come from predominantly white backgrounds and environments so they didn't have cultural awareness.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
The biggest reward in my EP I think would be getting close to my host family and making friends Across the Nation. I really loved my whole family and I feel like because of them I was really able to integrate myself into Japanese culture and cuisine and they really gave me a big opportunity to Just Adjust myself to a Japanese lifestyle and gave me more perspective. I also got to learn a lot about other people from different states and have more knowledge and mindfulness of people who aren't from New York City which I didn't really have that mindfulness and awareness before. the whole trip really helped me with networking and my social skills as well I wasn't afraid to talk to people just because I didn't speak Japanese but instead I found other ways to communicate with them.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
Before I want my EP I wish I would have listened and packed extremely light for example in Japan you don't need long pants no more than two pairs and you don't need a lot of black clothing because it's so hot during the summer. I also wish I would have just been more decisive on what clothing to bring because my clothes and my amount of clothes really limited how much I was able to bring back from Japan. I also wish that I would have known that the flight wasn't going to be that bad don't get me wrong it was really long but the whole process of getting onto the plane wasn't as Troublesome as I thought it was going to be because it was my first time flying alone.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
I say if you are considering doing my EP and traveling to Japan with CIEE, definitely do your research because in my program they didn't let us travel outside of Kyoto unless we were with an adult and that wasn't into the last week and people begged their PLs. So if you really want to travel all of Japan or gain a lot of experiences by traveling to different cities I would say pick another program. But if you really want to learn a lot about a specific city and indulge yourself into Japanese culture and the language, then yes apply to it. Personally I traveled to Kyoto which is a very historical City and I felt that with this program I got an opportunity to learn about the history of Japan and Kyoto but also it was a lot of just self-researching and self-advocating for what I wanted to learn more about so to take them into consideration.
I would say it's a great program and it really helps you build connections with people not just your friends and your peers but also Japanese people.
I would also say take advantage of your EP don't just think “oh I'm only here to have fun” really milk the program for all it's worth if you have a problem with something tell your program leaders and communication is really a big thing. Also don't depend so much on others if you're really codependent I would say don't choose my EP because personally you really have to be independent especially if you don't have a good relationship with your host family which I did but if you ever get lost you can't really depend on anyone other than your friends and your program leaders and after a certain point of you constantly getting lost, you just need to learn how to solve problems for yourself.
My program was so much fun because we had a lot of freedom to explore things and be on our own which I like and also about saving money, you are only in Japan once and you probably won't visit again until you're in college so money will always come back but experiences won't. So if you really want to like go somewhere just do it and unless you're going to get harmed or anything, but have fun because that's an experience that you will always have for the rest of your life and I feel like that's taking full advantage of everything is a really big thing that I learned throughout my EP. You're not always going to be here and every day you live is one less day that you're going to spend in Japan so really just do everything you want to do and have fun but also keep yourself in check.
ANGEL CERVANTES
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
The program I had the opportunity to do was a language and culture program. Through CIEE and with the support of SEO, I was able to not only travel to Berlin and live life like a normal Berliner in a host family house, but actively learn the language through class and everyday interactions on the street. Apart from just the learning aspect of the program, in the afternoon we always had excursions that showed us not only the history of Berlin, but also the culture in it. The program was a mix of traditional teaching and I would say environmental teaching as well.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
A normal day would consist of first waking up and getting ready for the day at my homestay. After leaving the house I would walk with my roommate to the bus station and then ride the bus 3 stops until we got to the U-bahn station which would bring us to the CIEE study center. From there we would have 3 hours of language class, a long lunch break, and then some time to get ready for the afternoon excursion. For excursions we would go to a variety of places which include anything from just a tour of the neighborhood, to visiting a former concentration camp on the outskirts of the city. Overall each day would follow a regular routine, although the excursions for each day would always be something new for everyone to experience. At the end of each day we would also have free time to explore the city and do whatever we liked, although we did have to check in before our 9pm curfew.
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
The biggest challenge I faced in my EP I would say is getting used to the language barrier when ordering in store. Although a lot of people in Germany spoke english it was still difficult sometimes to understand conversation when people spoke either broken english or just really good German. While this was a problem I faced in the first 3 days in my EP after the first week I really got good at listening to key phrases from previous interactions and those really helped me understand for the most part what people were telling me. I always tried to speak german as that is the official language, and honestly I felt that people were more likely to be friendly when you tried to speak german to them.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
The biggest reward of my EP was meeting a lot of new people and making connections and friendships. Apart from that it really helped me see how much work I need to do in order to make my German more solid and actually “fluent”. Before getting into the CIEE program I knew very limited words and phrases, which I thought was enough to get me through the program, but actually being there in the city and with a host family really helped me improve my sentence structures and pronunciation. It gave me even more motivation to learn German and hopefully in the future be trilingual.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
I wished I knew about the schedule more before going on the EP because for the most part the schedules for my program were really relaxed. Although we did have daily excursrions, the excursions would sometimes vary on how long they took, and most days we just had 9 hours of free time after class to pretty much anything we wanted. I would definitely recommend researching some hidden places or spots to go to before you go so that you can really take advantage of the time there. I would also say bring enough money to not only buy food that may be over the budget CIEE gives you, but also for things you may want to bring home.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
Honestly I would say to just apply. Being abroad has definitely opened my eyes to a new way of living life and customs that people have. In a sense you become a different person as you really have to get out of your comfort zone and try new things, for example ordering food in a new language, and just be more outgoing when in the program. Apart from that I was fortunate enough to have a great host family, and now I have a “home” in Germany that I can visit and stay at whenever I visit Germany because of the bond I created with my host family.
Evelyn Chuqui
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
CIEE is a travel EP where you can learn other countries' language and culture. I went to Rome, Italy to learn about Italian culture and the language for 4 weeks. I lived in a hotel.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
My day started off by waking up early to eat breakfast and get ready. We would take the bus or metro to the activity we had to do that day which could be cooking, gelato tasting, or visiting famous monuments. After the morning activity we had lunch at a restaurant which would mostly be pasta or pizza. Then we would have classes where we would learn Italian. We would have free time to shop or explore before having dinner at another restaurant.
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
My biggest challenge was the heat. In NY we were used to a heat that rarely goes over 100 degrees. The 2nd week I was in italy there was a heat wave and it reached 107 degrees. Another challenge was the culture shock when my drink didn't have ice. The hotel we stayed at wasn't the best. It was either taking stairs all the way up a hill or walking up the hill. The hotel staff did not treat us not the best because we were students. Some of the hotel rooms didn't have working AC. Transportation in Rome is terrible and makes the MTA look really good. Our main mode of transportation was the bus and if the bus is supposed to come in 2 minutes that means 8-10 minutes.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
My biggest reward was that I learned a lot of Italian and learned that it's something I want to continue to learn. I also met a lot of great people that I talk to till this day. CIEE allowed me to meet people from SEO that I didn't know before. The daily gelato was a great reward( I ate 1-2 gelatos a day) . I loved that in Italy no matter how much I ate I didn't gain weight because of how much walking we did.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
I wish someone would have warned me about all the walking we would have been doing. Each day we had to wake up early to go places. There wasn't a lot of time to rest and sit down. It was fun but it's also work because you're taking classes to get college credit.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
Some advice I would give to future SEO scholars is to know that CIEE is a lot of work and it isn't a vacation because there are actual classes. You should bring a water bottle, portable changer, and fan. Also to expect the unexpected and enjoy your time there.
AMA ODURO
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
Getting to travel to another country to learn about its culture and language is an experience that you’ll treasure, especially as a young person. Being in Spain allowed me to expand my knowledge of life outside New York. I got to meet kind people and share activities that are uncommon from where I'm from. I’m really grateful for this opportunity even though at times I really missed my family.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
Since I lived with my host mom, I would wake up and prepare to go to the CIEE center. Then in the morning, we would go on different excursions each day in the city. Then when we came back to the center after our activity, we would go to class for 3 hours. Class was engaging because I had a fun and kind Spanish teacher. After class we would have the day to ourselves to explore the city.
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
My biggest challenge definitely was adapting to the environment; to the people and the language. It was difficult being thousands of miles away in another continent, away from my family and my friends. I would often feel lonely because I was quiet and didn't really know anyone, but I did try to adapt.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
My biggest reward was getting to visit another country. It’s not an opportunity that most people get to have at a young age. I got to expand my knowledge of Spanish and experience Spanish life.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
I wish that I had studied and researched more about Barcelona before coming. So that I could visit the most fun places. Maybe if I did I would have been way more engaged when I was feeling homesick. And I also wish that I could have been more social.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
I would advise that they’d do a lot of research about where they’d want to go and that they’d be prepared to step outside of their comfort zone.
JAKHA CHAM
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before? For example, if this is a travel EP, what languages are you learning? Do you live with a host family? If you are interning, what company are you with, and what type of work are you doing?
CIEE Morocco entails learning the Moroccan dialect of Arabic called Darija and Classical Arabic everyday and practicing that Arabic everyday with the locals and your host family. Learning the culture and ways of life of Moroccans. Going on many different excursions, bargaining in the souks, hanging out with your peers, and making connections with everything and everyone around you.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
I would wake up at 7 in the morning get dressed and have breakfast which consisted of morning atay and kbous (Tea and bread with cheese or jam) and then exit the Medina Qadima (old medina) wall and put my hand out for a petit taxi to take me to school in the area of Agdal on the shariaa (street) Abu Hanifa. I would go to school with 1 or 2 of my friends. Once I arrived at school. I would have Fosha (Classical) Arabic class for one hour from 9-10am. Then we would have a 15 min atay break and then have Darija (Moroccan Arabic) classes for 2 hours from 10:15 to 12:15. After class we woud have community conversations where we engage and practice what we learned with the locals at the Hanouts. After CC, we would have lunch and then head back to school for our afternoon activity which always varied from a full-blown excursion or just a small cultural activity at the school. And then we would either be dropped off at the medina or go home by taxi or tram after school. Once I arrived home I would have tea time with my host family, do one journal entry and/or start my project for the week and then head to sleep.
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
The biggest challenge of my EP was dealing with homesickness and creating the balance of completing my projects and all of the other activities that we have to do that take up our time. So, you should just make sure that you keep enough contact so that you are mentally well and secure but also keep enough distance to where you can actually gain that independence and experience the fruitfulness of your time in Morocco.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
The biggest reward of my EP was personal growth within myself, making new friends, and just seeing the benefits of traveling abroad because after spending my whole life in New York I needed to experience something new and Morocco is one of the best places to do it because everyone is kind, there’s always something new to learn about the culture, and it’s warm.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
I wish I had known that we would be learning Fosha and Darija because there are some distinctive differences between the two. Also that there will be many schedule changes for the afternoon activities but just be open-minded and go with the flow. It's always fun, I promise.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
Make sure to have a international line even though we do have wifi almost everywhere we go there may be times where wifi is not working or even when you go out with your friends outside of programming it makes things easier
Be communicative because it’s what will get you far, whether it's small or big because your needs matter and CIEE staff are very kind and responsive to your needs
Keep in touch with your family and friends because I experienced homesickness and I thought not interacting with them would help but it's better to actually say hi here and there so that you feel a sense of them and you can move on with the rest of your day.
Don’t procrastinate on your projects and journals because those do matter
Most of all, have fun, like, actually give yourself time to live in the moment the experience and memories is truly what matters
Also really think it through before you go because living with a host family isn’t the easiest thing in the world but you learn and grow with it plus they’re all so sweet and hilarious
JOANN AMOAKO
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
My EP consisted of going on daily morning excursions in Madrid as a group and then partaking in mission n, which were activities that we did independently/in groups involving talking to native Spainards. After the mission n, we would have lunch, and then spanish class for 3 hours. In class, we could only speak spanish and we prepped for our presentations that we would all give in spanish at the end of the week. I lived with a host family in a poshy area. It was a gated community with a pool, gym, and sports center. I was very fortunate to have AC.
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
My biggest challenge was making friends. The kids in my class were not the type of crowd I wanted to get involved with. Eventually, on our overnight trip to Valencia, I made a friend group that I still talk to and meet up with in New York often. I still socialized with the kids in my class, but set boundaries so they knew not to ask me to party or do any drugs, etc, with them.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
I am much more comfortable with the idea of being alone in college now. I gained a lot of self discipline and socializing skills. I am also able to understand and communicate in Spanish more. Lastly, I’m glad to have met people on my EP that will remain lifelong friends.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
Before I went on my EP, I wish I would have prepared myself for the drama around me. I knew that I would've been with a bunch of other teenagers, but I didn't think it would've been so hectic at times. Nevertheless, I’m very grateful to have found a friend group that knew how to stay out of the mix and ultimately look out for each other.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
If you were to choose to study abroad with CIEE, make sure to surround yourself with genuine people. It’s nice to have solid friends that you can rely on during this short study abroad period. Also try and make friends that live in/nearby New York. I recently hung out with my friend that I studied abroad with during a lunch break at SEO and it was really nice. Make sure to remember why you're there and don't get in the mix!! Avoid breaking rules because it can get really complicated later. Have fun and indulge in the Spanish language and culture!
Mehribon Abdurakhmonova
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
I did not live with a host family, I lived in a hotel with other students that were in CIEE. We had class in the morning, it was usually an hour of k pop class and another hour of Korean class. We had a lot of free time, we usually had free time after dinner which was usually after 6.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
In the morning I had class. I was given stipends and we would go out to different places for lunch and dinner with friends
And then we had free time and we expected to be back at the hotel by 9:30 and our curfew was 10pm
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
The biggest challenge was the morning, I had a hard time waking up for my morning classes.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
The biggest reward was that I was able to visit places and get a bit of alone time from my family since we are a big family and sometimes there isn’t much privacy.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
Something I wish I knew before my EP was the weather. It rained a lot more than I thought it would, our schedules kept on getting messed up and we couldn’t visit some places.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
Some advice is that don't be too nervous, you will love it there and make a lot of new friends
MILLIAN BAILEY
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
I was in a culture immersion program learning German. So the whole point of my trip was to learn the language and the customs of germans. I lived with a host mom and I didn't have a roommate so it was just me and her which was really nice and intimate. There was classwork and homework that we did. So we got graded on participation in class, using the language in class, community conversations and our presentations every Friday. It was not hard at all and I always finished my presentation on Thursday and they gave us time in class on Friday to Finish our slides and to ask last minute questions because there couldn't be any English on the slides.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
I woke from Monday through Friday at 7 and got ready, had breakfast with my host mom and talked about the plan for the day then left to attend my classes at 9. The commute was very similar to New York with the public transportation so it felt very familiar to me. Then I got to campus to check in and stayed in the lobby to talk to my friends ( unless it was a friday then I would do last minute tweaks to my presentation) then I would walk over to class at 9:00. My teacher always had a song to warm us up in the morning then we would go over the target words that we would need to practice for our presentation. Then we had a 25 minute break and when we came back we would work on our presentations then we were dismissed for lunch and to do our community conversations. We would walk around the city and find something for lunch and would talk to the locals for our community conversation. Then we would return to campus for our excursion for the day. We took public transportation there and just explored the city of Berlin then we were dismissed. Me and my friends explored more and bought lots of souvenirs then I went home and had abendbrot with my host mom where we would talk about our day and I would practice the German I learned with her.
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
The biggest challenge of my Ep was opening up to new people. It was actually really weird to me because here in New York I am very approachable and open and am not usually that shy but in Berlin I was very shy to talk to new people. I was very concerned about what other people thought of me which made it very hard for me to open up, but thankfully someone opened up to me so I eventually did end up finding people to talk to. Honestly everyone on my program was so down to earth and chill that I don’t even know what I was so afraid of and I regret not opening up sooner because I could have had more time to get to know people.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
The memories. The memories are something I will never forget and the best thing that I have from the trip. Being able to reminisce about something with someone who went through the same thing as you and having inside jokes that only make sense to 2 people is really so special. All the photos that I took have a memory associated with it so when I look at the picture I can vividly remember it all over again.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
That everyone is literally so nice and it is really easy to spark a conversation with someone because you will probably have a lot in common with someone despite coming from a different background. Everyone on the trip is just as excited as you and just want to make a friendship and go through the experience with someone.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
It is like a regular school day, you have to wake up early and be prepared to do work and get graded for it. Sometimes it was hard waking up so early because everyday was so draining. Walking around the city for hours and talking to so many people can be draining, but the overall experience was so worth it. I made great friends and have so many amazing memories that I will never forget.
Marriyam Halirou
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
I did CiEE in morocco where we lived with a host family and learned Arabic language and culture.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
A typical school day is 9 to 12 then we would either stay in the school and do a cultural activity or go out to do a cultural activity and we usually left school anytime around 4 to 5. Then we would have free time and curfew was at 9. On weekends we would go on excursions to other cities some being over night and others just being day trips
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
The weather and the exhaustion because we were always doing something and while it was really fun it was also very tiring
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
Having experience in another language and the friends and memories i made
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
I wish i would've known that i would get barely any time to rest just so that i could be ready mentally.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
I think its a great program to do but only do it if your ok with constantly being around other people and truly challenging yourself with another language.
Nepu Hossain
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
I would say that my CIEE Morocco EP was a cultural and language program. We learned about the morocco culture and the language spoken which is Darjia. On the trip you get to go on excursions to see more of Morocco and see what the community is like in different parts of this country. We lived with a host family that lived in the old medina for the entire trip and they helped us learn more about how day to day life is in morocco. You are also introduced to the cultural foods that are there and your family will take you around the old medina where you're able to practice what you learned in your Darja classes.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
A typical day during my EP is waking up around 7:35 and getting ready to meet up with another CIEE navigator at like 8:30 and getting a taxi to go to the CIEE Center in Agdal street Abou Hanfia to start our Darjia class at 9. Then after we would do Community conversations which are going around the neighborhood and talking to locals so we are able to practice the language. After Community conversation or CC we are able to go out for lunch and then we have to come back to the CIEE Center for either cultural discussion. After that we would leave around 4:30 to head home either by taxi or tram and have dinner with our host family or do an activity with them. Then we could even go out with friends but had a curfew of 9 sleep and repeat.
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
The biggest challenge of my EP was probably having a bit of culture shock. I feel like as a muslim I thought that people in Morocco would wear more modern dress but it was a shock because there was a lot of western style clothing in the area but again we were on the city side so it was more westernized.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
THe biggest reward is finally having a better understanding of what I want to maybe do in the future. I feel like this trip made me realize how much I really like traveling and how much I want a job that involves traveling. I feel like this trip really helped me just be more at peace and not overthink too much and it just gave me a well needed break from my stressful life like with school and just personal things.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
Something that I wish I knew before I went to my EP is probably having more knowledge of the culture there and like how to be polite at the table just knowing simple mannerism so I wasn't too rude when I got there and could be more aware of customs and norms. I also wished that I could have an open mind set about things and just get out of my comfort zone more.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
My advice for future SEO scholars who are considering their EP is to get everything that you can out of this opportunity and try to be open about the new things that you’ll experience. Even though you might be homesick, just know that you only have a month here and the people back home will always be there - so just try to live in the present for the duration of the trip. You will grow more independent and learn what is good for you and what isn’t. Whatever you learn from the trip - whether it be about the culture or the religion or spreading that knowledge to others among you - remember that your voice is your greatest weapon and can make big changes in the world one step at a time.
TAUSIF ISLAM
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
CIEE Rabat is an international language and cultural exchange program for high school students. I learned Durija, Modern Standard Arabic and moroccan culture. I lived with a Host family for all 4 weeks of the program and I was commuting to classes within Rabat every week day.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
I would wake up, be greeted by my host family. My room had no windows so it was always hot whenever I did wake up. I was given breakfast and I mostly ate with my host father because he had to go to work at around 8am. After breakfast, I would commute via taxi with my friend, who lived on the third floor of my building. We would give directions to where the CIEE center was and once we arrived we would go through our classes. After classes, we had lunch which involved community conversations, where we practiced what we learned on the locals. After, we would learn about moroccan culture and then be dismissed to be free to spend our time in Morocco before going home.
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
The biggest challenge would probably be learning the cultural aspects of the language.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
Being able to meet everyone from my peers to my teachers.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
How much I would miss everyone and the country itself.
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
Have your mind and heart open to every experience, you’ll probably never enjoy this EP if you have a closed mindset. Enter the country with a fresh and clean mindset and you’ll leave much better and more experienced than you would ever think.
ROSA PRADO
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
The branch of CIEE that I chose to follow was language immersion. There are two sessions: in session 1, the one I got accepted into, I got a host family. CIEE really takes their time to match you with a family that adapts to your religious restrictions, hobbies or allergies. In this travel EP, you will immerse into Italian culture completely, starting with the host family. You will be eating their food, learning about their traditions, way of living, slang, and the popular things in their society.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
- I wake up around 7am, get ready and eat colazione (breakfast) with my host family.
- The first days my host sister taught me the way to the CIEE center, which is where we would have our language classes, and we would leave the house from 7:55 am - 8.15am.
- In the program there’s 2 schedules. Some people have classes in the morning and the immersive/cultural activity and vice versa. I had the activity in the morning, from 9am to 12pm.
- We would have a pranzo (lunch) break of around 2 to 2.5 hours.
- We had 3 hours of language classes starting at 2:30pm.
- After, our PL, program leader, would tell us our assigned conversation to practice during the activity the next day to practice the language we had learned that day.
- Free time!! For around an hour. But every cool thing was a walking distance!!
- We would go home by ourselves and arrive around 7-7:30pm, and get ready for dinner.
- The first three weeks, cena (dinner) would take around 2 hours because your host family really wants to learn about you and for you to practice your talking.
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
Sticking to the Italian language at all times! The first day we signed a contract for our own good to stick to the Italian language with family and friends throughout the program. I got headaches because I was constantly thinking at school and with my host family. But it’s worth it if your goal it’s to improve. You’ll overcome those obstacles, don’t worry, trust.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
The biggest reward was the relationship I built with my host family. They were very patient with my language process, and would challenge me to speak more since my host mom only spoke Italian, and my host sisters and host dad were bound to speak Italian for my sake. I still talk to them and it’s a never ending language process:)
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
I wish I had known the amount of free time we would have. I was disappointed to find out that free time was an hour less than said on the website because I was hoping to see a lot of Rome during that time. However, like I said before, the time became enough as I started getting a sense of the city and the touristic points:)
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
This is an opportunity to make many connections and friendships you never thought possible in only four weeks. Take advantage of it; I assure you you will make up for the missing sleep hours when you go back home, if it means connecting with your family more. Try to spend your free time wisely, during weekdays as much as weekends. Your host family wants to spend it with you, and your friends will thank you for taking them out to explore more of the city. If you do this and build friendships with people across the world, you’ll never want to go back:,) Also, to get a host family, you have to choose session 1, session 2 stays in a hotel:/
NORA RIVERA
How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?
CIEE’s Spanish Language and Culture program is an opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the language. I studied Spanish in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Mallorca is an Island with many beaches and coves. During the 4 weeks I lived with a host family at first it can be a little awkward and overwhelming but over time you really do warm up to your family. I stayed with an older couple (this is typical) and 3 host sisters. Learning the language beforehand did help me build my relationship however the host parents do really try to help and be there for you.
What is a typical day like during your EP?
On a typical day I would wake up around 7 and meet up at plaza de españa with my group, this is so that we could go off and do our daily activity. This varied but it could be going to the museum or going to the palace but since we were located on an Island going to the beach was also common. After our morning activity we would get free time until class started at 3. During this time you could go get lunch with a friend or continue to sunbathe, this was time for the students. Class time lasted from 3 to 6. It would be like a typical school day. There was a teacher and we would just go over sentence structures and do kahoots. Over time I bonded with my classmates and class was fun!
What was the biggest challenge of your EP?
The biggest challenge of my EP was adapting to a new environment and home. Before my EP I was so certain that I would never get home sick and that I was so ready, however when I landed I was so tired and emotional from leaving my parents. On the first day there were little issues but I remember being stressed and sad because of the fact the family was not there. Unlike most people I was homesick during the being part of my EP. After the 4 weeks I did not want to leave because I adjusted to my homestay and new environment. The sudden change was hard for me but over time I fell in love.
What was the biggest reward of your EP?
The biggest reward was the people I met and the new experiences that I lived through. Studying abroad is a once in a lifetime experience and it is really special. Trying new things in Spain was an adventure of a lifetime. Hiking the Tramuntana Mountains was a reward because of the breathtaking view at the end. During a weekend trip we went cliff jumping and that was exciting. The water was crystal clear and you could even see the ocean floor which was gorgeous. In addition, all the Spanish classes at the end are worth it because you earn college credits.
What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?
I wish that I had known how to budget well because money abroad for me never stayed in my hand for long. I spend money on a lot of things - from food to souvenirs. I wish that I had spent less money on food but more money on things that I could take back to the U.S, I would buy a lot of food that was common in the U.S like boba or pizza but I wish that I could have salvaged that money for authentic spanish food or souvenirs. Money will spend fast especially when you are not being mindful!
What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?
A piece of advice that I have for future scholars is to take a lot of pictures and videos! If you don’t you will later regret it. It is always nice to look back at photos and have memories that will never die. I know that some scholars may be like “I like to live in the moment” or “I don’t want to be distracted by cell phone” and that is totally valid however there is nothing wrong with capturing a moment in your life that you would like to remember, as humans we all will natural forget things but having pictures could help preserve memories also if you would like to, you can share these memories with others! You future self will definitely appreciate it.
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