Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Learning Spanish Culture through Living Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/20/2016 to 05/24/2016 with

PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Before studying abroad in Spain, the culture and history of the country had always been an abstract. Living in Spain allowed me to understand and live the culture in a way that I hadn't before I went. My language skills became more natural, and my comprehension skyrocketed. What's more, I made friendships within the program that were amazing, and will hopefully be lasting.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

For the most part the administration in the host country was stellar, and I felt very well cared for and protected.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My experience with my host family was amazing.

* Food:

My host-family always provided full meals and was very generous about taking our opinions into account.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I found it a bit hard to integrate with the local people socially, but I am also shy, so this may account for much of the issue. PRESHCO certainly offers you many opportunities to meet Spaniards.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had one stressful experience with healthcare, but that was only because of exceptional circumstances, and I was still completely and thoughtfully looked-after. The other time, the administrative team in Spain went above and beyond to make sure I was fine.

* Safety:

After some initial nerves about living in a city (because I had never done that before) I felt very safe in Córdoba.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

PRESHCO did a wonderful job of making us safe, and giving us opportunities to interact with Spanish students and to learn about the culture of Spain through cultural classes and excursions.

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)

PRESHCO was amazing about offering re-imbursements for travel within Spain, and cultural activities. This meant that unless I wanted to travel outside of Spain, get souvenirs or get food for myself during the week my expenses were very low

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~10-15 euros

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

The program was very good about encouraging us to use the language.

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? A spanish seminar with the department
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? One thing that is crucial to practicing Spanish is using it with your friends in the program, even though you'll make mistakes, and even though it's so tempting to slip into English.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • The excursions
  • Cultural Classes
* What could be improved?
  • Occasionally felt that the program was not willing to listen to student suggestions
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Knowledge of the reimbursement program would have really helped.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!