New Things Past Review
By A student (Smith College) - abroad from 01/25/2018 to 05/25/2018 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I think I picked up a lot of Spanish and improved my listening skills. I would say this program was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes are challenging for their language component, but do not require much work outside of class until finals. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The team was friendly and became familiar faces and people we trusted. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed with Mariluz and Miguel in a lovely apartment. |
| * Food: |
Mariluz was always very accommodating and never fed us pork and was understanding during ramadan. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I would have liked to have gotten closer with more people and have spent more of my social time speaking Spanish. I adjusted to the meal time schedule which I consider a personal accomplishment. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No healthcare problems to report. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I might have chosen a program with fewer people in order to immerse myself more in the actual city. That said, Córdoba is a beautiful city and if you already speak Spanish well, the Andalusian accent will put that to the test. I also might have chosen Mexico or Latin America because that is the type of Spanish one is more likely to encounter on a day to day basis. |
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) |
I think the system of reembolsos is not ideal, because they reimburse you in cash. For booking flights/train trips this means that you end up with euros in hand that would be difficult to return to your bank account. I spent more than I wanted to out of pocket, but that may be a personal issue. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 5-10 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would recommend looking at flight prices earlier rather than later, and saving the money from the trips before to use that money for making first purchases in Córdoba, that way it can be reimbursed. Make sure you have your student ID, because that saves money at museums. |
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 |
I realized that traveling with a large group of Americans makes it very easy to avoid speaking Spanish, and harder to branch out. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | mid-200s |
| 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? | I think people who are more outgoing might have an easier time of it. Potentially beginning a pen-pal exchange with someone in the country/city might be a good step. I found most of my interactions in Spanish with my host family, so I would try to spend as much time with them. |
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 to be a better ally, the word coger, how to really put myself out there and get to know more people. |
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.' |
