A Series of Not-So-Unfortunate Events Past Review
By A student (Comparative Literature, Political Science, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/29/2015 to 05/26/2015 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I gained significant language experience, as well as very worthwhile travel skills that improved my confidence.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Though we were not assigned much work outside of our class meeting times, the PRESHCO courses were quite interesting, well-taught, and informative. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our Program Administration was absolutely amazing. I ran into numerous travel issues (delayed flights, bed-bug infection, etc) and received lots of support from my program--ranging from helping me buy clothes when my baggage was delayed to actually helping wash myself and my belongings when I picked up a ton of bedbugs while traveling. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent under $20 dollars most weeks for food and other expenses, but if I chose to travel on a weekend then my costs increased based on ticket and hostel prices. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you're living with a host family, eat as many meals as you can in the home and if you plan to travel, buy your tickets as far in advance as possible. |
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? | Advanced |
| 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? | A Spanish 280-level literature course |
| 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? | If possible, try to practice the language with tapes or videos from the region you'll be visiting. One of the biggest issues I ran into was not actually speaking Spanish, but rather understanding the local accent. |
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 how supportive the staff would be and that I really didn't need to worry about settling in because they had a wonderful system in place. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
