Hi guys! My name is Campbell Schill and I am a Senior Communication Studies major, with a minor in LGBTQ+ Studies. I wanted to share a little bit about my experience abroad in Seville, Spain. Although leaving the country can be a little nerve-racking, I would definitely recommend it. The professors, students, and locals you’ll meet make the experience even better and worth your while. The many different foods and experiences will also broaden your horizons to a new level, to the point where you want to share as many of them as you can with others. If you are thinking about studying abroad for a semester, it is 100% worth it. However, I believe that by doing the year-long program, you are likely to experience more of your chosen culture, as well as grow a strong connection with the staff, city, and the locals in and around town.
When it comes to the actual city in which I studied abroad, Seville is the capital of Andalusia, located within the southern part of Spain. This area has a strong cultural identity with important representations of flamenco music and dance, strong Moorish influence (shaped by European and Iberian history), and beautiful architecture. I would say that one of my favorite areas to spend time when I wasn’t attending classes was María Luisa Park. Exploring this area includes seeing Plaza de España, Plaza de América, and numerous paths and aquatic areas.
If you decide to attend CEA CAPA in Seville, I would recommend taking courses like Art & Culture with Dan Serradilla, Communication & Global Competence with Carmen Hernandez (Fall). Other really fun and entertaining courses include Seville: Culture, Identity & Citizenship in the City with Susana Lumbreras or Sport & Culture with Rafa Vega (Spring). Each of these courses covers very interesting information related to the city in which you are studying, while also diving deeper into Spain’s culture as a whole. Most, if not all, of the courses are discussion-based, with aspects very similar to schools in the United States.
When it comes to housing, since I was abroad for a year, I was able to try two options including
the Residence Hall, Kadora (otherwise known as LIV when I was there), and the Casa de Sevilla.
In Kadora, I was able to have my ow
n bedroom and bathroom, as well as share a main common area with five other girls within my program (all from different states in the US). I enjoyed this area, but felt as if it was too far away from the friends I had made in the program since we were off on our own. Casa de Sevilla was a little different than the others as our host mother and father, Rosa and Noberto, owned a little apartment complex and filled it with students from numerous different programs. There were a total of four rooms within the apartment with about four to eight people living in each (randomized depending on program/ size of program). Within this option, your host mom/dad did all of your laundry (sheets/clothing), cooking, and cleaning.
During your time in your home away from home, it is very important to stay connected with your family and friends from your hometown as much as possible. I was lucky enough to have both my mom and dad come out and visit me throughout the entire year. My mom helped move me into my residence the first time I went out, as well as took me on a week-long tour of different cities and towns within Southern Spain. My dad and his girlfriend weren’t able to visit my first semester, but were able to come for my birthday weekend in April, and I had a great time showing them both around my home away from home. Although my friends were unable to come visit, I still texted, called, and FaceTimed almost all of them every day. With that being said, I was able to
meet many new students who attended my home university and numerous different students attending different schools around the US, that I am still in touch with today.
Overall, the entire experience was absolutely incredible, and I wouldn’t have had it go any other way. If you are thinking about studying abroad, but are nervous about it, don’t know where to go, or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @soupschiff (main) or @soup_uncaned (study abroad account), and I will be glad to answer any questions you may have. Looking back, I would 100% choose to go back to Seville and study abroad with CEA CAPA again. I couldn’t recommend a better or more suitable option for fellow Communication Studies majors at Chapman or any other university.
Campbell Schiff
Major: Communication Studies
Semester: Fall 2025 & Spring 2026
Location: Seville, Spain
University/Program: CEA CAPA & EUSA
