I wish I could do it all over again Past Review
By Sarah Boehm (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/10/2018 to 12/13/2018 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned to be independent and to talk to people more confidently in a foreign language -- it was absolutely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I think the classes were difficult insofar as their use of the language -- you need a fair mastery of the language to understand the professors but the classes themselves are nowhere near as rigorous as at Wellesley. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Loves of my life. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Not very vegan/vegetarian friendly in general as a city (Córdoba) although your host parents will more than likely make an effort to prepare the appropriate food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I would advise students to always walk home together or take a taxi at night to prevent any incidents; the program and the local police understand the risks students undertake abroad. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The team at PRESHCO is one of the friendliest and best group of people I've ever worked with; they helped me with everything I needed - language-wise we were able to communicate fairly seamlessly. They truly want their students to succeed and all of the trips they planned were so fun. |
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? | ~$1200 USD (Travel mostly) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would recommend applying for funding through any means in order to not have to worry about money throughout the semester. |
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 242 |
| 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? | Expose yourself to media in Spanish and keep in contact with/talk to professors and fellow students! Befriending them helped my Spanish so much! |
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? | I wish I knew what the weather in Córdoba was like so I could've packed more appropriately. I also wish I realized how using Spanish all the time is essential to improving and learning one's language skills. |
