Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Spain was not a complete pain Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/25/2018 to 05/25/2018 with

PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to deal with different and uncomfortable situations and I gained a better understanding of Spanish culture and life. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to spend time in Spain and learn about topics from a different perspective.

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?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

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? Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • I liked the support and the safety blanket that the program provided. Although not perfect, I knew that there was a team of people who I could go to when and if I ever had a problem.
* What could be improved?
  • I think that the PRESHCO student integration into UCO classes could be vastly improved. PRESHCO students did not have access to the same resources and information as some of the Spanish students and we sometimes felt out of the loop when we realized that we did not know everything about that the other students knew about the course and about how the university system worked.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish that I had known how to deal with culture shock and how to navigate those situations. It took me a while to figure out how to get adjusted to certain aspects of Spanish culture and I wish that I had know more about what I was getting into.