Spain Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/26/2018 to 05/25/2018 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned a lot about myself as cheesy as it sounds. I learned about the communities I want to build, what environments work or dont work for me, and I was constantly reminded of why I love Spanish and how it opens up a new worlds for me. I think people would be shock when I say the program was worthwhile even though many people know I had a hard time here. I'm even shocked to say it to myself. Taking risks is not always fun, but at the end I learned 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. |
The PRESHCO class are not that hard, which is a good thing because being abroad is hard enough and it leaves time to explore the city. The UCO class I had was tougher because it was a science class with high expectations and lots of class time (the class also frequently scheduled additional class times outside of the original schedule). |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I found the team of administrators very helpful. It was however difficult to find a tutor for my class and the length that process took was a little stressful, but in the end I found a tutor. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host parents were very invasive, judgemental, and accusational. They made comments about my lifestyle, habits, and body and even gossiped about me to other host families. I know all host families arent like this as I visited a friend and their host family was fantastic. I wish I had moved, but I stuck it out. If you have any doubts ask to move as soon as they arrive. They did do a lot for me like cook for me and clean for me and although its an expectation of the program, I still greatly appreciate that. |
| * Food: |
Spanish food is not the most flavorful, but they eat a lot of vegetables which is great. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Not very much! It was partly my fault though and I feel neutral about the lack of integration. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A |
| * Safety: |
I felt super safe in Cordoba. I walked home at night and even though thats always scary, it was ok. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program was difficult and Spanish culture and people were hard to adapt to at times, but the financial support we receive with reimbursements and stipends on trips was such a relief. It was a privilege to be given money to explore the country and its something my other program just did not do (or have the funds for). That is one reason this program wins. I had a hard financial time in another program which affect my experience. No experience will be perfect and I value the (hard) lessons I learned here. |
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 stipends and meals at home make it very easy to survive in Spain. Idk my weekly expenses but if I needed them to be they could be minimal to no cost (although that doesnt leave for much fun on the weekends or for exploring). |
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 |
They were so adamant about speaking Spanish |
| 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? | I studied abroad 4 months before so Im not sure how to answer |
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?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Spain is so racist and sexist. I mean thats seems like an obvious statement because, its SPAIN, but...wow. I wish there was more support for dealing with this. |
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.' |
