A Semester to Remember Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/25/2018 to 05/25/2018 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned so much about Spanish culture, the language, and how to live in a foreign place. I made incredible friends and had an incredible host stay. It was amazing to look back to the beginning of the semester when it was hard for me to express simple thoughts or ask questions in Spanish and by the end of the semester, I was explaining complex ideas and stories in Spanish.
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had a very different educational experience in Spain in comparison to Wellesley. The University classes are structured mostly as large lectures, while the PRESHCO classes were more like Wellesley classes, with a smaller number of people and more discussions. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very helpful and supportive! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
If I had more time there, I would have liked to meet more people in my classes and spend even more time with locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had a few injuries in Spain and the program staff helped me and continuously asked how I was doing! |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved my semester abroad in Cordoba! I felt that the program staff was very supportive and I liked having PRESHCO as a foundation for my study abroad experience that took us to different cities in Spain, matched me with an amazing host stay, and provided sevillana and guitar classes. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 75 euros |
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 |
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| 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? | SPAN 272 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | If you don't know a word or phrase, try to explain it using other words and over time, you'll gain a better fluency and comfort with the language. Talk with your host family and try to use Spanish as much as possible. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | Think about your goals for the semester, whether that be academically, socially, or anything else, and make it happen! Use your Spanish as much as possible. Take advantage of all of the opportunities that are presented to you (through PRESHCO) and find new opportunities for yourself (e.g. new dance classes, meeting other international students, etc.). |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
