Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Intro to city living Past Review

By (University of Cordoba) - abroad from 02/01/2019 to 06/15/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Cordoba, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yeah it was worthwhile. My spanish improved and I got to meet a lot of cool people from a wide variety of countries. I was also able to travel a lot while also seeing a lot of my host city.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I thought that the school system was pretty frustrating at points because my Spanish wasn't good enough to be in a class with native speakers. I took my classes with other international students so that we could help each other with understanding the material and the coursework. The school system in Spain was also different than in the US; students were only expected to pass their courses, but we had to do well because our grades counted towards our US GPAs, which I didn't think was fair. Because of this, we not only had to do as well as the native speakers were expected to, we had to do better even though we didn't understand as much as was covered in class. It ended up working out okay, but was at points very frustrating.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

There was not much of a Middlebury presence in Cordoba but they were available by email or phone if we needed help with anything.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We had to find our own housing and my apartment ended up working out fine.

* Food:

We were responsible for cooking our own food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We were more integrated into the international student community in Cordoba than with the Spanish students, which was a fun experience.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I ended up using counseling services a few times while abroad and it was all very easy using our GeoBlue private health care coverage. Middlebury helped me set it up and pay for it and it was all covered.

* Safety:

Cordoba felt very safe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

It helped me improve my Spanish and I did get the immersion experience I wanted.

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? probably less than $100 because the cost of living was relatively low
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? buy groceries instead of eating out

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? 300
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • ability to travel
  • local history/culture of Cordoba
* What could be improved?
  • more support from the local university and more help finding good classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? that the university system would be frustrating and that I might not do as well academically

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'