Experience in Córdoba Past Review
By A student (Smith College) - abroad from 01/25/2017 to 05/25/2017 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned a lot about the Spanish language and culture, as well as gaining some general skills in communication, trip planning, budgeting, and living and taking classes in a country other than my own. For me, this was definitely a worthwhile experience.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't really have any health issues while there but I got the impression that healthcare, especially for mental health issues, would be a lot less accessible than what I was used to, which could definitely be improved. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I might choose the same program again, because although I liked and disliked various aspects of the program more than others, I definitely learned a lot, had a good experience overall with my host family, and appreciate my time in Spain and Europe in general. However, I would definitely think more about choosing this program before going and look more closely at what other programs had to offer as well. |
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 program provided all housing, meals, and school materials, so anything else I purchased was for my own personal travel or souvenirs, and was generally relatively cheap. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | usually $10 or less because meals were provided to us |
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 |
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| 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? | Spanish 372 |
| 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? | Staying with a host family instead of in a dorm or apartment is a great way to make sure you're speaking the language every day, and trying to have conversations with native language speakers in your classes is helpful as well. |
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? | I wish that I had known more about what was going to be expected of us socially (for example: drinking, being encouraged by the host families to go out every weekend or even every day, adjusting to an entirely different schedule, having to communicate with professors and other people in different ways than I was used to, etc). However, there are also many things that it would have been impossible to know beforehand and that I only could have learned through experience, no matter how much information I got before going. |
