grad student abroad Past Review

By Jennifer L (Spanish Linguistics, The University of Texas at Austin) for

National University of Cordoba: Cordoba - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

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

Spending more than a few months in a foreign country is always worthwhile even if you don't get your credits transferred or you lose money, etc. My above rating is that of my experience with the study abroad program at UT, which actually did little to facilitate or enrich my study abroad experience.

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	Like I said, the administrators in the host country went out of their way to make sure things went as smoothly as possible for the exchange students.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I rented an apartment alone, independently from the program and the University. I lived in the city center very close to the University.
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	NA
* 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?	No

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)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Paying UT tuition is expensive, especially being a graduate and out-of-state.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	N/A
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Psicolinguistica y Aprendizaje
Course Department:	Department of Filosofia y Humanidades
Instructor:	Dr. Ricardo Baquero; Dr. Cecilia DeFago
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	It was short, only 3 days, but a lot of hours, which didn't allow much time to interact with the professors or other students.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Yes, my department is not accepting my credits at the graduate level (which is what I need) since classes abroad were viewed as less rigorous than those in our PhD program and for my requirements.

Course Name/Rating:	Linguistica I
Course Department:	Doctorado en Semiologia
Instructor:	Dr. Beatriz Bixio
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	Also, the course was organized to be short and intense, with little interaction.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Same as above.