Finding friends that love me for who I am made my experience in Spain. Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/30/2014 to 05/27/2014 with

PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Even though Spain is in Western Europe, there are still a lot of cultural differences/challenges between Spain and the US (i.e. smoking, eating schedule, drinking, socializing at university, etc.). I loved my experience. I made some really good friends and got to travel all around Western Europe and to Morocco. Cordoba is a beautiful city and I also saw the value of living life at a slower pace: taking more time to enjoy my meals, drinks, walks, time with my friends, etc.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host mother had divorced from her husband the week I got to Spain. I don't think she was emotionally ready to take two strangers into her home. Thus, I wasn't comfortable in her home, although it was my responsibility to tell the program directors that I wanted to change homes but I just let it slide. However, before I got to Spain I was under the impression I would be living with a mother and a father, which didn't turn out to be. Additionally, many students had issues with their host parents smoking inside the home, even one of the students with asthma. This cultural barrier between the US and Spain turned out to be a challenge.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

One of my directors accompanied me when I got my allergy shots every two weeks.

* Safety:

I would feel comfortable walking by myself in Cordoba at 4 in the morning.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Europe is expensive, but southern Spain isn't outlandish. We got a lot of reembolsos and funds from PRESHCO and we always ate really well with our host families. Food and drinks out are also cheap in Cordoba.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $20-30
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? buy clothing at the sales which happen the beginning of January. And bring your own shoes because buying good shoes abroad is expensive. Also, don't buy toiletries at the pharmacy; look for them at the grocery store.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

They also requested that we speak Spanish to each other, but we would've benefited from the rule being enforced more strictly.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? a 300 level seminar
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? speak in Spanish to other PRESHCO students and meet with your companeros de conversacion all the time!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • my companeros de conversacion
  • Sevillanas and Flamenco classes
  • the PRESHCO excursions
* What could be improved?
  • host family communication and ease of switching homes
  • integration with local university students
  • enforce speaking Spanish to other American students more
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That it is so much better not to worry about making local friends when I get there and to just let things happen as they may. And that it is not a good idea to travel almost every weekend because you miss out on making new friends and integrating within the city life. And the majority of what you learn abroad happens outside the classroom.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Biosintesis de macromoleculas

Course Department: Bioquimica
Instructor: Gabriel Dorado Perez and Antonio Rodriguez Franco
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: The class was just the right level of rigor for me. I learned a lot from lab about new free downloadable bioinformatics programs for DNA and protein sequence analysis. I also got the opportunity to present a topic in English to a class of Spanish speakers which forced me to evaluate my abilities to communicate clearly and effectively.
Credit Transfer Issues: No, I was pleased that the credit transferred back to Wellesley to be approved for the bio major. I would recommend this class to other biology majors that want to study abroad.