Emotionally and mentally exhausting. Past Review

By (Smith College) - abroad from 01/26/2017 to 05/27/2017 with

PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Spaniards are racists and hate Asian people. They think that they're not as racist as Americans (which is borderline hilarious).

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

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I don't know.

* Safety:

I was harassed very often in the city. From racist/sexist/racist & sexist/xenophobic comments in the streets (day & night), I also experienced it in the classrooms and occasionally in my homestead.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I would never go back to Córdoba. If I were to study Spanish again, I would choose a different city where I wasn't surrounded by so much hate disguised under smiles and false niceness.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't need to spend money on Spanish food because the host families will make that for you.

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? SPN 225
How many hours per day did you use the language?

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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Making friends with other people in the program
  • Traveling
  • Practicing my Spanish
* What could be improved?
  • More preparation/acknowledgment of the level of racism that a student could have experienced instead of just waving it off as 'race relations'
  • Adminstration response to issues that PRESHCO students had
  • I just hate this city
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That I should've chosen a different program despite of the immense amount of money support provided by this program.

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 Blazer
Craving 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.'