Córdobawesome! Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/25/2016 to 12/19/2016 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned about new cultures and improved my language and communication skills.
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 education system in Spain is very different from the system in the US, and especially at Wellesley. The Spanish education style is much more laid back and there is much less work throughout the semester. They give you all of the important work to do at the end, so I found the finals period to almost be more stressful. The direct enrollment classes were much more of this style than the PRESHCO courses, which were more like Wellesley courses. I got the sense, at least with my direct enrollment classes, that the professors didn't really want to be there and the students couldn't care less about the classes, which I thought was kind of unfortunate. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was, for the most part, very nice and friendly. They checked up on us to see how we were doing, and helped us solve some of our problems |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was very sweet and super accommodating. I had my own room and bathroom and got three meals a day. They really helped me to improve my Spanish and learn more about the Spanish culture and lifestyle. |
| * Food: |
The food is very different than in the US. There is much less variety and they use basically the same main ingredients in every dish: salt, olive oil, tomatoes, and garlic (they also eat a lot of ham). I did enjoy the food though and I thought it was fun to experience that part of the culture. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We had the chance to take cultural classes, which were great!! I highly recommend the cooking class and the Sevillana Dance classes! The guitar was great too, and it looked like the theater people had a blast as well. I really don't think you could go wrong with those classes. While those classes helped to teach us about the Spanish culture, I still found it challenging to become integrated with the Spanish students. They mostly kept to their already formed groups, but they were for the most part, nice to us American students. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Córdoba was very safe. There were times when I felt a little bit nervous walking down the street by myself at night (like I would anywhere), so I would just call a cab to take me home (the ride was usually pretty cheap too). |
| 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) |
The finances are very easy with this program. They give you a cultural reimbursement, so the the only things I really had to pay for were my outside trips. If you plan to do a lot of traveling around Europe, you will need to have personal money to spend. |
| 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? | The easiest way to save money is to limit your travel, but I would not recommend that if you have the financial means. |
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 staff was always telling us to speak in Spanish, all of the classes were in Spanish, and the host families only spoke Spanish, so it was really easy to practice. |
| 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 |
| 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? | Talk to your host family as much as you can! They help you improve your language while also teaching you about the culture. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew more about how the education system works, how to pick classes, which classes were most friendly towards PRESHCO students |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
