Great semester in a great city July 01, 2022
By Michael S (Art History, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/01/2022 to 06/14/2022 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Cordoba, Spain
Independence, new friends, language skills
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Not very available, didn't see them often. They are useful if you need a paper reviewed for grammar edits but expect to solve most issues on your own. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
lived with someone who only spoke english and couldn't change to a spanish only accomodation which made the language pledge harder to stick to. |
| * Food: |
mercadona. is. great! food is very affordable. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I enjoyed my three language intercambios, they helped expose me to what was happening in the city and connect with cordobeses. I made a profile on openlanguageexchange and it took some time but was definitely worth it. It is fun to see your partners English skills grow as well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
It took a while to get access to mental health services, but once got connected they were paid for by the program and of high quality. English therapy is very difficult to access in Cordoba, so consider trying in Spanish. |
| * Safety: |
I'm a tall white guy and never faced real problems. Club security (especially during Feria) can be a nightmare, and expect some bouncers to not let you in for not being dressed well-enough. Many people also had their phones stolen at Feria, so go with a group and be very aware of your surroundings. |
| 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) |
Get the renfe mas joven card for 50 euros. If you travel a few times you'll save money. https://www.renfe.com/es/es/viajar/prepara-tu-viaje/descuentos/Jovenes Spain has great high speed rail but Renfe is expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent ~40 euros a week on groceries and ate quite well. Try the peppers, they are yummy. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I got the Carne Joven and did not find it to be of much use, especially when you have a student ID. Buy round trip train tickets when on MD or AVANT, you get a discount. Produce is more expensive at supermarkets, so consider shopping at a produce store. Get a student bus pass when you arrive. The student bus fare is half of the normal cash fare. You don't have to take the bus often, but you'll save money after a few trips. |
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? | Beginner |
| 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? | 2 SPAN 03xx courses |
| 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? | intercambio, spanish podcasts, talk with people |
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?
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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? | Most Spanish students have multiple chances to take their exams and won't be as engaged as you need to be. Don't expect the same level of academic commitment as you are used to in the US. |
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: |
Historia de la musica |
| Course Department: | Grado en Cine y Cultura |
| Instructor: | Juan Carlos Galiano y Diego Garcia Peinazo |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The final exam was hard, but we were warned in advance. I enjoyed the final project and thought it was more creative than most of the other university work I was doing. Everything was posted on moodle so easy to review if you had questions. Went to a tutoria once and Diego was helpful there as well. Roughly 10 international students out of 50 in the class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Conflicto y Negociacion |
| Course Department: | Psicologia social |
| Instructor: | Eva Moreno Bella |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Did a skit and a debate in class, weekly 3-5 pg essays, relatively easy professor. I was the only international student in the class, as is the case with most UCO psychology and economics courses, which can be really fun or daunting depending on what kind of learner you are. Everything was posted, materials were made available and assignments were given with lots of notice. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Lenguajes Artísticos: Introducción al Lenguaje de la Música y al Análisis de la Fotografía y el Cine |
| Course Department: | Grado de Historia del Arte |
| Instructor: | Profa. Dra. Mª Dolores García Ramos Profa. Dra. Olimpia García López |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Course was divided into a film and a photography section. Maria was much more relaxed than Olimpia. In the music portion we learned the Spanish system of music (which uses a fixed rather than a movable do), and we learned to identify musical samples by ear for a wide variety of historical periods. The film portion involved a few essays, one German and one french film. The class felt rushed and 1/4 students regularly attended class, although this is typical. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Sintaxis Nivel Avanzado |
| Course Department: | UCO Idiomas |
| Instructor: | Maria Jesus |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | great class. great professor. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
