Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A place where I became and adult and learned more about myself Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/24/2019 to 05/27/2019 with

PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Meeting new friends, taking risks, learning to communicate with others, learning a different way of life, learning more about myself, gaining confidence and trying new things

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The educational system is a lot of memorization, so I did not feel I could be as creative there. While I liked learning a new language in the classes, the classes were mostly group work and we did not have much feedback. This could just be the fact that it is a different educational experience, rather than the quality of the courses. I found I lacked feedback in my PRESHCO courses because I did not understand the expectations for each assignment, even if I asked. To make it easier, rubrics would have been helpful.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Very helpful; helped with mental health in a hard situation

* 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?

The program directors came with me to the doctors when I needed to go. Accessible and very cheap medicine.

* Safety:

Very safe; always have a buddy just in case but otherwise, very safe.

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

They immersed me into my surroundings.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 30 euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to eat the food your host mom makes and be honest- if you don't like the food, you may buy food outside and that is where the money adds up. Also, try to avoid taxis because they are expensive.

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? 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 300
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? Talk to your host parent, make friends that are from Spain and speak Spanish.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
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?
  • various excursions
  • living with a host family
  • food at restaurants we visited
* What could be improved?
  • Making the group more inclusive as far as friendships; perhaps team building activities or more get-to-know-you so no one is left out
  • helping with academics in group work
  • having a language class in addition to academic class
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew more about the social life; for example the time to go out is 2 am to 7 am. I wish I also knew that it can be hard to make friends within the program, so I wish I had more examples of how I can meet friends outside of the program.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A 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.