Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Studying abroad in Cordoba Past Review

By (HISTORY., Wellesley College) for

PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Absolutely. I'm still working on forcing myself to use Spanish, but aside from that, it's been a really great break from stress. It hasn't really changed my future plans, but I definitely feel I understand Spanish culture 100% better than I did before this last semester.

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.

The classes were pretty hit or miss. One of my professors taught a discussion based class, the other three taught almost exclusively with lectures.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The staff at the PRESHCO office are almost all extremely helpful and wonderful. They are Spanish, and although they do speak English they pretend they don't.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Our host dad is an excellent cook, I'm just a picky eater and not a huge fan of fish/seafood, which is a major part of Spanish diet.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We went to Morocco for a week. It could have been organized better, but it was the first year that they've done the trip, so it was really more of an experiment. There were some hiccups but overall it was fun.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I never had a problem, Cordoba always seemed pretty safe to me. However, on the street where one student lived a lady got raped in broad daylight.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? A lot. I tried to spent 10 euro or less a week, but it's difficult.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Just...prepare to spend a lot.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 242
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

It's easier said than done, but: don't hang out with other Americans! Also, stay with a host family, since none of them speak English and you will be forced to interact in Spanish.

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

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • That they helped make the financing manageable.
  • The staff.
* What could be improved?
  • The academics.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? If your main goal for studying abroad is to improve your Spanish, I'd definitely recommend this program. It's a great way to experience Spanish culture, since you have the option of living with a Spanish family. Also, it's just a really low-stress, fun program. However, don't expect the quality of the academics to be as high as you're used to. Definitely don't take Archaeology.