Siesta in Spain July 25, 2021
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 02/18/2021 to 05/28/2021 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned so much about how different life is in Europe from fashion trends to just like the pace. I don't know if it was because I felt like I was on vacation, but there was just less pressure and stress. Everything I did felt very much about being in the moment and just enjoying it.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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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? |
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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
I enjoyed it very much and although I would have liked to make Spanish friends, it was hard due to COVID, I met some really great people from Wellesley and Williams. I think I learned so much about the country and its culture due to how the program is structured. If we weren't living with host families or taken on excursions by the program, I don't know if the experience would have been the same. |
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? | maybe about a $100 a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I spent most of my money traveling and shopping so I guess try to look for cheapest methods of travel and limit your shopping! |
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 very adamant about us speaking only Spanish. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I'm a native Spanish speaker. |
| 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? | It is kind of hard to stick to speaking Spanish with friends or people who speak English, but if you really want to improve try very hard to only speak Spanish. |
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? | 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? | I think there are certain social aspects that maybe someone who is fond of the country and its people won't really recognize as problematic. There are things that wouldn't fly in the US that are kind of normalized in Spain, which kind of takes some getting used to. |
