Good program, not equipped to deal with any kind of minority June 19, 2021
By Ilana Tamir (Wellesley College) - abroad from 02/20/2021 to 05/28/2021 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned I never want to live in Cordoba again, but it was a good thing to learn, very interesting to live in a foreign country especially with a host family because it makes you feel more integrated to the culture. Also my spanish improved a ton and I feel mostly fluent now, definitely worth it
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Overall good but I had some personal issues with some of the administration that made them uncomfortable to be around at times |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mom was fantastic, I loved her, super nice, super caring, very chill |
| * Food: |
Very hard if you have any dietary restrictions, a ton of olive oil used in everything, by the end I just wasn't even eating as much as I used to because nothing appealed anymore |
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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: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Although I had a lot of personal issues in Spain and the program wasn't the best at handling it, the program was very active and kept you connected to other people so you never felt alone and you could feel like you were making the most of your time in Spain |
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) |
It's all about what you choose to spend, our host families provided meals and snacks, and the program offered included trips as well as an allowance to fund cultural experiences like museums and travel within spain |
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? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| 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? | you have to make it a point in your friend group to speak spanish even when it's just you guys |
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? | 0 |
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? | Despite Cordoba's claim of "Convivencia" there are barely any Muslim people and absolutely no Jewish people, as a Jewish person I had no place or means to practice and no resources to consult about it. Also, this program, while being a wellesley program, is not equipped at all to deal with any students who are not cisgender. |
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.' |
