A obvious foreigner tries to assimilate while exploring everything in sight Past Review
By A student (Spanish Language, Literature, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/21/2015 to 05/24/2015 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned so much about Spanish and European culture and also about myself and I came back a much more independent confident person. It was one of the most worthwhile things I've ever done.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The program had clearly put a lot of work into making the PRESHCO classes more interactive and the PRESHCO teachers were mostly really good. UCO classes were hit or miss. The PRESHCO classes were mostly interesting, but tended to be quite easy because there was a variety of Spanish levels but also because the educational style in Spain is quite different than that of the US. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was fantastic and very helpful. Everything ran very smoothly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mother was a joy and the house was centrally located and comfortable. This was one of the best parts of the program. |
| * Food: |
Spanish food is fantastic. My host mother was a cooking goddess. Also restaurant food and drinks are pretty cheap compared to the US. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My host family really helped with integration and we got to go to so many cultural events that I never would have seen if I had just been visiting. I didn't have a ton of Spanish friends, but people who were there for the whole year had a lot more. I think your integration with younger Spanish people depends on how good your conversation partner that you are assigned is as well as how hard you work to foster that side of your experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any need of it, but everyone else got into the doctor's very easily and were treated quickly. |
| * Safety: |
Cordoba is a very safe city. I did not feel threatened there. That being said, there is a machismo culture and I did experience quite a bit of street harassment (I'm tall and blonde and stick out like a sore thumb) and on nights where there were big parties going on in the city guys could get unruly. The majority of the time however, I felt completely safe. Just follow the regular safety rules and don't walk home alone in the middle of the night. |
| 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) |
Spain is cheap, drinks are cheap, food is cheap, there is lots to do in Cordoba that is inexpensive. The only reason I spent a decent amount of money was because I wanted to travel, and the program gives up about 300 euros of reimbursements so that helps. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $10 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No |
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 |
They wanted us to speak all Spanish all the time |
| 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 high 200 |
| 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 do, but if you can speak Spanish with your English speaking friends as well it is better. Otherwise getting close with your host family improves your Spanish incredibly. |
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? | How fast it would go by |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
