Study abroad with PRESHCO! Past Review
By A student (Smith College) - abroad from 01/21/2016 to 05/23/2016 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned to be brave and independent, try new things, challenge myself, speak better Spanish, be humble, be open and be respectful. I learned to be critical of my culture and questioning of tradition. I learned to make paella.
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. |
My university class was too rigorous, one PRESHCO class not challenging or very educational, but two classes that were the perfect mix of informative and interesting instruction and small workloads. Overall a good mix for a study abroad experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was helpful and kind and managed lots of wonderful excursions. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I love my host family and feel very connected to them. They made me feel very comfortable and helped me integrate into Spanish culture. |
| * Food: |
Spanish food has some real treats, like paella and tortilla de patatas, but be prepared for a lot of fried food and ham. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated with the local culture. I made Spanish friends, took a class with Spanish university students and celebrated all the local traditions. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I had no safety issues, even when walking home late at night (even when I was by myself on a few occasions.) Córdoba is a very safe city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
PRESHCO was so accommodating, helping me improve Spanish, showing me so much of Spain on the program's dime, integrating me into the culture by introducing me to Spanish students and involving me in holidays and traditions, and providing reimbursements for my flight to and from and travel within Spain. I love my host family, I made great friends, and I saw so much of Europe during this brief but meaningful experience. I don't know of anyone else who can say the same about their study abroad experience. |
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) |
Spain is super cheap. I did not have to spend money out during the semester if I didn't want to, because all my meals were provided for by my family, but going out for a coffee or toast after class with friends was no big deal because that costs all of 1-3 euros. Traveling through Spain was pretty cheap, too, especially because the program reimburses travel within the country up to 300 Euros. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The only expensive thing about living in Córdoba is that you have to travel outside the city to catch a plane. Going to Madrid often means cheaper flights, but longer travel, though Sevilla and Malaga both have good airports that are close by. |
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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 241 Cultures of Spain course |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | It's okay to spend money at the beginning because it will go a long way! |
