Challenging, beautiful, terrifying, humbling. Past Review
By A student (Smith College) - abroad from 08/25/2016 to 05/25/2017 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
I learned a lot about myself through this experience, and a lot of what I learned were little things, but I believe those things are going to make me a more confident person in the world. For example, I learned I could move to another country, learn a language, travel all over Europe by myself, and still make it home in one piece. This experience was not easy and I often faced challenges that I never thought I could overcome, but I did and that made the experience worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Generally speaking I enjoyed my classes. That being said there are still many things that could have been better. For example the registration process was confusing, the requirement to take two courses at the University threw off my plan of study, and more often than not, the professors didn't explain what they were looking for in assignments which left students in the dark. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The PRESHCO administration was great. They always made sure that the students had what they needed and were very supportive. The only thing I would ask for the future is that the administrators anticipate questions or situations that the students find themselves in so that students feel they have all the information they need. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I absolutely loved living with my host mom. She was wonderful and we bonded quite a bit over the year. |
| * Food: |
My host mom was a great cook but occasionally there were some dishes that didn't sit well with me. Also, there was often a lot of salt in the dishes and the portion sizes were often huge. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was always aware of my status as an outsider. Occasionally I felt like I had integrated, but for the most part I felt like a tourist. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Physically I would say any and all health problems were taken care of, but mentally, the care was abismal. There were no mental health services of any kind that could help students in the often confusing and chaotic transition to a new country. Personally I struggled a lot in this regard and would have appreciated having someone on hand or on staff to be available to talk to. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt like Córdoba was very safe. I never had any problems walking home by myself at night or venturing out in the city by myself. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
For all the things that could be improved, this program is a great program if you want to learn Spanish and really get to know another culture. If I had to do it again, I would choose this program, but I would only go for one semester instead of two. |
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) |
I saved a lot of money from working various jobs before going and budgeted myself fairly well, but I still ran into some financial problems. I will say PRESHCO does a good job of making sure students can afford trips within Spain through their cultural reimbursement program which was a great help to me. However, it wasn't always easy to save money or travel on a student's budget. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I was encouraged to speak Spanish in class, at home, and around Córdoba. It was a great program to become fully immersed in the language. |
| 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 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish someone had sat me down and told me that this experience was going to be amazing but also challenging. I only heard about the amazing things and no one talked about how hard it is to live an ocean away from everything you know with a whole set of people you've just met. I wish someone had also told me not to feel guilty when you aren't having the "time of your life" because it's ok to be homesick even though you know you're lucky to be traveling and experiencing new cultures. I wish someone had told me to slow down and breathe because the best thing you can do is to take care of yourself and to listen to your needs. |
