Córdoba - Immerse Yourself in Andalucia Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/07/2018 to 06/07/2018 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Cordoba, Spain
I furthered my Spanish skills and made lots of friends. I also got the interesting experience of going to a European university It was very worthwhile.
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. |
Academics were interesting but not particularly challenging. Study in sciences with this program are difficult to organise. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administration was helpful and attentive. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a piso with other Erasmus students. It was rented through Interasmundo. It worked out great and they were amazing friends. |
| * Food: |
Food is yummy and cheap in Córdoba. There are lots of great bars and restaurants, however not a lot of variety such as in big cities. The grocery stores were inexpensive and made shopping easy.The local cuisine has a lot of fried bread and meat, which could be a problem for some people. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Studying in a small city such as Córdoba, I was able to integrate very well. There are few international students and few people speak english. This made immersion in the culture and language work well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
We were advised before the program started on the healthcare system and how Middlebury's student healthcare worked there. I went several times to the provider, called Sanitas Millenium. They were friendly and helpful and even knew some english. I would highly recommend it. |
| * Safety: |
I never once felt unsafe in Córdoba. Pickpocketing/theft wasn't a problem and I felt perfectly safe walking home alone at night. |
| 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) |
Córdoba is an inexpensive city in an inexpensive country. Grocery stores were cheap (I spent about $60 a week on shopping) and bars and restaurants were almost all very affordable. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $80 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go out for tapas after dinner - that way you aren't as hungry and won't want to eat as many. |
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? | Intermediate |
| 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? | A 300-level course |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Read books for leasure in spanish |
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? |
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 wish that I had known how difficult it is to take classes in hard sciences at UCO. The commute, the schedules, and credit transferrals made it almost impossible to take classes in biology while in Córdoba. I wish I had known this before starting. |
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: |
Arte Medieval Cristiano en España |
| Course Department: | Historia del Arte |
| Instructor: | Pedro Francisco Marfil Ruiz, Alicia Carillo Calderero |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This course was an interesting review of christian architecture in the Iberian Peninsula. Both professors were very kind and helpful to foreign students, however Alicia's organisation of her part was a little bit better. This class was very interesting when taken in conjunction with "El Legado Artístico de al-Andalus". |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No issues |
| Course Name/Rating: |
El Legado Artístico de al-Ándalus |
| Course Department: | Historia del Arte |
| Instructor: | Alicia Carillo Calderero |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This class was amazing. By far my favourite that I took in Córdoba. Alicia was kind and funny and took care to make sure that the foreign students understood and followed along. Because of Córdoba's islamic history, this course taught the history of islam in the Iberian Peninsula through the architecture of the Mezquita of Córdoba. This meant lots of field trips around the city and a very applied curriculum. I would highly recommend both the course and the professor. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
