Great food, drinks, and friends Past Review
By A student (Smith College) - abroad from 08/24/2017 to 05/25/2018 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
Spain is a whole new world, it was worthwhile for me and enjoyed it a lot but it was nothing like I expected
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. |
very different from college in the US, not much resources |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Not always as helpful as they could've been |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family made me feel very comfortable but there was only one bathroom shared by 3 people |
| * Food: |
Great food |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Spanish university students are not very welcoming to foreigners and it was difficult to make friends spontaneously |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was taken to the doctor when necessary but paying for medications out of pocket added up very quickly and that cost was not compensated |
| * Safety: |
Cell phones should be fully paid for by the progam becuase in case of emergencies some of us did not have service and would have no way to call for help |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The tutor Marina was amazing and extremely helpful and the PRESHCO classes were interesting |
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) |
We were not able to work and social activities usually revolve around spending money (on coffee, drinks or food) |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around $100 |
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 |
Lots of emails to use 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? | 300 something |
| 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? | Talk to spanish speakers everywhere you go |
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 much being abroad would cost me finacially, what academics would be like, how grading works, |
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.' |
