Spain: An Adventure Past Review
By Jamie7 (Spanish, Political Science, Wellesley College) for
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I was able to see that I might not want to use Spanish later on in a career. I was able to travel in Europe.
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? | 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 |
Expectations were in general met - the process for getting classes to transfer was difficult. Otherwise, support was offered and I was comfortable asking. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Host family was great about my food allergy. However, I am very independent which caused problems for this arrangement. They were also very over-bearing. |
| * Food: |
Great for my dietary restriction, but so much grease and oil and so much food it was hard to handle. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We made several field trips, going to feria, dressing in sevillanas dresses, had guitar lessons, cooking lessons, etc. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Girls should not walk alone because men in Spain in general made obscene comments and did not always feel safe at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | 20 dollars per week - I do not drink alcohol though. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | To book flights for travelling in Europe early |
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? | Seminar Modern Mexico |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced the most with my host parents but it was hard to improve in Spanish with all American students in my classes where English was often spoken during and after class. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | A student who will talk in Spanish even if other friends are speaking English. A person who wants to live a laid back lifestyle and does not care too much about being productive academically and needs a break from school. |
