Andalusia: history, food, and culture Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/24/2017 to 12/18/2017 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned a lot of Spanish, and also a lot about myself. It was definitely worthwhile, even when it was difficult I was still learning a lot.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Overall, the classes were only slightly less rigorous than at Wellesley, but the fact that they were all in Spanish made up for that in terms of intensity. The program provided a tutor, who was very helpful with improving grammar and word choice in assignments. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There is a team of four who work in Cordoba to run the program. This provides a lot of support for academic and other issues, such as with host families. There is also a tutor, a local student hired by the program, who was a great help in preparing for classes and also in just understanding the Spanish educational system. My one comment would be that at times there could have been better communication throughout the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was great! She knew ahead of time about my dietary restrictions. The apartment was clean and comfortable. It was slightly far from the campus, but still within reasonable walking distance. |
| * Food: |
With my host family, the food was overall very good, on the group trips however there were some meals that were ordered for us ahead of time and since we did not get to give input, there were a few times when the food was not something I really ate. Also, it is generally difficult but definitely doable to be vegetarian in Spain. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt mostly integrated, living with a host family helped a lot with this, but I do wish that I had been able to become closer with more local Spanish students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A |
| * Safety: |
The city was very safe. I walked back to my apartment late at night a few times and was perfectly fine, and there were always taxis available if I needed one. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program gave us a lot of support, but also pushed us to learn about Spain and Cordoba, experience the local way of life, and be immersed in the language. |
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) |
One of the best aspects of the program was the "reembolsos" they gave us, which were reimbursements for cultural activities and travel within Spain. This allowed me to do and see so many more things and places than I would have otherwise. Also, living with a host family I rarely bought food. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Use the reimbursements to travel within Spain. |
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 required to always speak Spanish during official program events, and encouraged to speak it the rest of the time. |
| 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 242 |
| 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? | Just try and speak Spanish as often as you can, even sometimes when people try to speak English to you. |
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? |
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? | How different daily life and social interactions would be. |
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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
1920 Andalucian Archeology-Theory and Practice |
| Course Department: | PRESHCO (Archeology) |
| Instructor: | Dr. Antonio Monterroso Checa and Ldo. Antonio Molina Espósito |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The class was reasonably challenging: we read a number of academic articles about both more social and more technical aspects of archeology and wrote a number of reading responses as well as a longer essay. The class made great use of the location: we visited archeological sites around Cordoba every week. The professors were knowledgeable and clearly had a lot of experience in the field. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
