Literally Everyone Should go to Cordoba Past Review
By A student (Spanish, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/27/2015 to 12/17/2015 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
It was amazing! I learned a lot if cultural things and it was most certainly worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
There wasn't a whole lot of academic rigor in the direct matriculation (UCO) classes, but the level of discussion in the Preshco specific classes was only slightly below what I'm used to. The assignments were easy but not "busy work" and I felt they were rewarding. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
El Equipo is my favorite group of people EVER. They were so helpful and awesome and I miss them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host mom! She was extremely sweet, very supportive and allowed me to be as independent as I liked. |
| * Food: |
Host ma tried hard but it got repetitive sometimes. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved the Compañeros program! My compañeros were a bit of a bust (they were a lot older than me and already proficient in English) but I was quickly absorbed into a friend group of mixed Spaniards and Americans. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A. I didn't need any vaccines. |
| * Safety: |
A few overly friendly drunks, but I never felt unsafe. |
| 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) |
The reembolsos program means I spent very little of my own money after my plane ticket! I lived off of my reimbursements (they're all in cash, including the plane ticket) for most of the semester, only using my credit card for things that could only be bought online like plane tickets for personal travel. I withdrew cash from an ATM exactly once during the semester, before we got our plane reimbursement. I ended up with about 250 euros left in cash at the end of the semester! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably 10-20 euros, depending on the week. Sometimes none! |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Travel is expensive, but if you look around you can find a lot of student discounts (carnet joven, etc.) You can use your reembolsos for all kinds of food but not alcohol so take advantage of that! Nightlife can be as cheap or as expensive as you're comfortable with - some bars may charge up to 10 euro for a drink, but you can buy a bottle of gin for 5 and a liter of fanta for less than 1, so it's up to you. There were nights where I spent 20+ euros on bar drinks, club entries, etc, and others where I spent two on splitting a few wine bottles. |
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 |
I was often scolded by el equipped for speaking English early in the program. |
| 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? | 275 |
| 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? | Make Spanish friends! |
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? | No need to pack so much! The clothes in Spain and very cheap and generally good quality (Zara is very popular and a lot cheaper there.) Also, I should have brought more warm clothing because it got colder than I was expecting. |
