Best Experience of My Life July 12, 2022

By A student (Spanish, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/03/2022 to 06/18/2022 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Cordoba, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I gained a lot more confidence in myself both as a student and a person overall. I feel a lot more independent and self-reliant and feel comfortable living abroad. Yes worthwhile 100%

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes Córdoba was perfect in every way - I ended up loving being in a smaller city and appreciated that I was not with a lot of other American students in the city. I liked being able to fully immerse myself in Spanish language and I also loved Cordoba as a city - the weather was always perfect.

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?	300
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Eating out is incredibly expense, so buying groceries to save $$ Traveling is possible to do cheaply - book far in advance and decide where to go based on where the deals are. especially in europe, every place is absolutely beautiful and worth visiting, so go where the cheapest flight or train or bus takes you!

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?	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?	Spanish 490
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?	practice spanish with native speakers and ask them to correct you!

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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Travel New friends Independence
* What could be improved?	Attitude from program administration in Spain Classes could have been a bit more engaging More organized group activities that were INCLUDED in our program cost
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	that you have to pay for water in spain....... criminal

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 Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Audiovisual Anthropology
Course Department:	Cine y Cultura
Instructor:	Begoña Escribano Salmoral
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	The class itself was boring but the lack of final exam was appealing. I was able to do very well in the course - the projects were very clearly outlined and requirements were made clear from the beginning. Very possible to succeed if following instructions.
Credit Transfer Issues:	no issues

Course Name/Rating:	History of Music
Course Department:	Cine y Cultura
Instructor:	Diego Garcia Peinazo
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	Interesting content, wonderful and fun instructor who gave students every opportunity to do well in the class. My grade was completely reflective of the work I put into the class. If i had wanted to do better, I could have, but i made a conscious choice to prioritize other things in my life.
Credit Transfer Issues:	no issues

Course Name/Rating:	Artistic Languages
Course Department:	Gestion Cultural
Instructor:	Alberto Añon Lara
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	The course itself was extremely easy by Middlebury/US standards. Very little work and extremely simple and open-ended final exam. I was able to do very well in the course with minimal work involved. Content was pretty boring but I was looking specifically for an easier academic course, so the course provided me with what I wanted
Credit Transfer Issues:	no issues

Course Name/Rating:	Advanced Spanish Syntax
Course Department:	Idiomas
Instructor:	Maria Jesus Cortado
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	The most challenging course I took because I actually had homework for every class - still it was relatively less work than a Spanish course in the US. Maria is a fantastic instructor who engages every single one of her students and is patient and willing to explain concepts in depth. Very engaging teaching style and made us do the work which was great because it actually improved our Spanish.
Credit Transfer Issues:	no issues, would highly recommend this professor