Not what I expected... Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/26/2017 to 05/25/2017 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I gained new friendships that I wouldn't have made had I not gone abroad. I also learned a lot about the way I, along with my culture, are perceived on an international level.
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. |
The classes were hard because we were held to the same standard as the UCO students. Professors were never clear on what it is that they wanted or expected out of PRESHCO students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The equipo was overall very supportive. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
At first, I was very satisfied but as the semester went on there were things that made living in my homestay exhausting and emotionally taxing. |
| * Food: |
I often found myself wishing there was some communal kitchen to cook with other PRESHCO students. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were a lot of cultural integration opportunities that were facilitated by the equipo. I found it difficult to connect with Spanish students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got sick once and the equipo told me where to go to get medicine and checked up on my health. |
| * Safety: |
Pretty safe but living next to a night club made me feel less safe. There were drunk people lingering around the apartment every weekend. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
Living on a student budget meant that I couldn't travel as much as I would have liked to. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 15 euros |
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 |
We were constantly reminded to speak Spanish. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| 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? | SPAN 323 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 0 |
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 had taken a course on Spain's history and culture prior to going abroad but the things you learn in a classroom can't compare to the experiences you'll have once you're there. For example, race relations. If you are a person of color, your experience will 100% be different than that of a white person. There's also nothing that can really be done to prepare for that either. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
