Cordoba: An Spanish Experience to Remember Past Review
By Geralle P (Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/26/2016 to 12/15/2016 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I increased my spanish speaking skills and was fully immersed in the Spanish culture.
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 |
The PRESCHO program administration really cared about us as students and treated us as family. Anything we needed they provided for us. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We were placed in home stays with Spanish locals. This was one of the highlights of my study abroad experience. By living in the home stay I was immersed in the Spanish language and culture. It also just felt great being a part of a loving family while abroad. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt really integrated in the local culture. Being in a homestay and taking classes at the local University (Universidad de Cordoba) I felt less like a foreign student and more like a local. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had food poisoning my first week in Cordoba and was able to see a doctor and obtain medicine fairly quickly and almost no cost out of pocket. |
| * Safety: |
Cordoba is extremely safe. Although one should be aware of pick-pocketing especially in crowdy touristy areas. |
| 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) |
Certain things in Spain are very cheap such as: food, transportation, and enterntainment. However, many things such as electronics, personal care items, and school supplies are fairly expensive. The cheapest things are the 1 euro cafe con leches, yum. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $5 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would spend money on food only when necessary, as the host family provides all of the food you will need. |
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? | Spanish 241 |
| 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? | The best way to practice the language would be to read Spanish books and also watch Spanish television, repeating the dialogue of actors to yourself. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? |
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? | nothing. I think I was prepared as I could have been. |
