Great program great community good semester :) Past Review
By Sam G Weiss (Oberlin College) - abroad from 01/21/2016 to 05/24/2016 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned about the importance of family and community, especially with respect to eating and cooking and sharing meals together.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was very relaxed in an appropriate way, could have been more intense. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were absolutely wonderful |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was the best part of the semester hands down. |
| * Food: |
Segundo was quite the chef and he showed me how to prepare most of the dishes! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was able to make many friends from Cordoba and that enriched my experience in many ways. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
They stayed up with me until 4 am in madrid to make sure I received medical care. |
| * Safety: |
Cordoba is a very warm, safe community to spend a semester. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was great to be part of the community and to feel accepted as one from the community. |
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) |
They gave us so many funds for cultural activities we wanted to pursue! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | very little... probably less than 30 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | eat at home! |
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? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | only 203, but I had spent time in Ecuador and Chile |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Make friends from the town! |
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? | That I needed to figure out how/where to play soccer on my own. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
