A fun and educational semester abroad in Spain Past Review
By A student (BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES., Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/29/2012 to 12/16/2012 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I improved my Spanish, learned a lot about Spanish culture, got to experience living abroad, made new friends, and had a really fun and relaxing semester. It was definitely worth-while.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I found some classes challenging only because of the language barrier (all lectures and assignments were in Spanish). I did have a few courses that I really enjoyed and got a lot out of, but for the most part I was not challenged. That being said, I really enjoyed the break from rigorous academics and the free time that I had to enjoy and experience the culture in Córdoba. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program itself was very well organized and conducted, and most of the administrators were fantastic. However, I know many students found fault with our program leader, Esteban. I had only good experiences with Esteban, but I heard many accounts of him acting unprofessionally around students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a host mother, Antonia, and had a wonderful experience. She made me feel completely welcome in her home and I'm so appreciative. I heard only good things from other students in the program about their host families. |
| * Food: |
My host mom made most of my meals and they were all great. I'm lactose intolerant and she did everything possible to make sure I had what I needed (lactose free milk and cheese, avoiding dairy-rich meals, etc.) The dinners hosted by PRESHCO were also all fantastic, especially the Thanksgiving dinner. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living with a host mom definitely helped me to have a more authentic Spanish experience. The program also introduced us to Spanish conversation partners. I ended up spending most of my time with fellow American students, so I did not feel particularly integrated with the local culture, but that was through no fault of the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any health issues while on the program, so I cannot speak directly to this, but I was present when one student was in an accident and needed to go to the hospital. We called Esteban, our program leader, and he came immediately and knew exactly what to do. I felt like everyone was in very capable hands health-wise. |
| * Safety: |
The program administrators gave us safety talks before each new city. They even brought in club owners, etc. to talk about how to stay safe in clubs, etc. and which parts of town to avoid. They also provided us with a list of emergency numbers. I definitely felt well-prepared safety-wise. |
| 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) |
Because it was possible to eat all meals at home I definitely could have gotten through the whole semester spending very little money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around 50 euro. |
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 |
None of our host families or professors spoke any English (some of the professors may have, but they did not speak any to us) so we were speaking Spanish every day. |
| 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? | Spanish 242 |
| 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? | Meeting Spaniards, participating in class, and spending quality time with your host family all help a lot. Making an effort to speak Spanish with other PRESHCO students would also be a great idea. That's something I didn't do but probably should have. |
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? | 0 |
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 overpacked, so I wish I'd better understood what the weather would be like and how good the shopping opportunities would be. |
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. |
