Spain: No Pasa Nada Past Review
By Lia D (Economics & Art History, Wellesley College) for
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
YES! It provided me with a nice break from Wellesley. I will be returning rejuvenated in the fall.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad de Cordoba |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
-workload: for some classes minimal, for other classes a lot -grading system: very reasonable -teaching methods: some professors encouraged class discussion and participation, while others read directly from their lecture notes to the class -differences in educational systems: host: very few graded assignments, longer classes (more difficult for me to focus/pay attention for the longer period of time) |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All excellent! The women in the PRESHCO office were very knowledgeable, helpful, and caring. They helped us with choosing classes, settling problems with host families if they arose, taking us to the doctor if we were sick. My expectations were exceeded! I enjoyed the size of the program as well (51 students). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
PRESHCO arranged our housing. Neighborhood was not very safe at night, but cabs were really inexpensive and we could take them from wherever we were home. I didn't need to buy any items to settle-in. My host family treated me as their own daughter. |
| * Food: |
Quality of food: all homemade and delicious Quantity of food: too much, was constantly force-fed, but better than the alternative |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Memorable cultural events: feria, cruces, romeria Field trips: 10 day tour of Spain, trips to Granada and Sevilla |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I went to the doctor once when I was sick and he prescribed an antibiotic right away that cured me in three days! I did not need any vaccines specifically for this program. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | Total: 3,000 dollars |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Traveling around Europe is more expensive than other students made it out to be! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPAN 241 (oral and written communication) |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Though I spoke Spanish at home with my host family and I used Spanish in everyday interactions, I wish there had been a language pact. If I hung out with Spaniards more frequently, my Spanish would have improved more. Very few people spoke English. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | -You will likely spend more money than you anticipate. |
