Beautiful local culture, the kindest people, and an authentic time in Spain Past Review
By A student (Spanish Language, Literature, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/29/2015 to 05/22/2015 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
My experience was absolutely worthwhile, and I miss it all the time. It showed me that I can happily live abroad for an extended period of time, and gave me more confidence living only in Spanish. I was able to travel and see more of the world, and I made amazing new friends.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Though I give the program four and a half stars for academic rigor, which was slightly lacking in some of my classes, the overall experience was so excellent due to the cultural exposure and the amazing PRESHCO team that I would otherwise give it five stars. They truly made our time in Cordoba very special and helped us become integrated into the culture there. It was an amazing experience and I would recommend it to everyone. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had a comfortable and pleasant home environment, with great food. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I wish that I could have made more Spanish friends, but other than that I felt like I became very integrated into the culture in Cordoba thanks to my host family. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I'm used to very good American health care, so the quality in Spain was sometimes lacking, but other than that all my minor health issues were addressed quickly and efficiently. We always went with one of the program directors to the doctor, and I got everything taken care of. |
| * Safety: |
Cordoba is incredibly safe and I never had any problems. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
I spent some more money on my time abroad because I did a lot of traveling, but I spent hardly any money on food, etc. I had everything I needed from my host family and any other money I spent was from going out with friends, which was still very cheap. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Less than $50 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 level Spanish seminar |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | It's hard to speak Spanish with your American friends, but do the best you can, and spend a lot of time speaking with your host family. If you can, make Spanish friends, and take advantage of the conversation partners program! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had known to be better about making Spanish-speaking friends, since it was harder than I thought while being in a program with a group of Americans. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Image, Gender, and Sexuality in Contemporary Spanish Cinema |
| Course Department: | PRESHCO |
| Instructor: | Joaquin Roses |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The course was sufficiently challenging in that it provided a great opportunity for class discussion and debate, which I felt was lacking in other classes. We watched an excellent selection of films and the professor was one of the best of the program. Our homework consisted of watching a film a week, as well as creating and presenting a debate on one of the films. At the end of the semester, we were given an exam. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
