Difficult accent in a rewarding place Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/06/2017 to 06/09/2017 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Cordoba, Spain
Independence, more confidence in myself, improved spanish. Yes, it was worthwhile.
Personal Information
| 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. |
I had 2 great classes but there wasn't much discussion. It was good for my spanish listening comprehension but asides from language skills I felt I learned little in my other 2 classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Not much help was needed, student helpers were always ready to assist since we didn't have Middlebury staff in Córdoba. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved living in pisos |
| * Food: |
Cooking for myself made it easy to do what I wanted, the eating schedule was tough at times and there were some things that I was used to having (peanut butter just as one example) that was hard to find but overall good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living in pisos helped but there wasn't a lot of interaction with students unless you were very proactive about it because they had their friends and their grade. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No issues |
| * Safety: |
Easy to walk everywhere, always people around, very safe |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I liked the city a lot, not too big but still a center for many things. I wasn't a huge fan of the university as a whole but the lesser work load allowed me to explore more of 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) |
Spain is very affordable in a smaller city, so if you cook for yourself most of the time it is easy to stay within budget. Travel costs more but that isn't a necessity. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 60 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook for yourself |
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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Multiple courses in the 300s |
| 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? | Live with spanish speakers (more so than other erasmus students) |
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? |
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? | Not everyday will feel like progress but you are learning so much more than you can measure yourself. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
El Legado Artístico de Al-Andalus |
| Course Department: | Historia del Arte |
| Instructor: | Alicia Carillo Calderero |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Take this class! A challenge but the information is right in front of you when you walk out of the classroom. Alicia is an expert and is super engaging. I was motivated to learn and wanted to do well because of her enthusiasm. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
