Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Wonderful Wonderful Past Review

By (Smith College) - abroad from 08/24/2017 to 12/18/2017 with

PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was worthwhile. My Spanish improved an amazing amount and I made some great friends that I want to stay in touch with!

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.

What is expected of you as a student in this program is very little. For this reason I did not find it to be that academically rigorous or challenging, but the professors were friendly. I would rate my interest in the content at 5/10, but that might be because I was taking classes outside of the sphere of classes I normally take.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

There are some members of the program that were very supportive and helpful, but a few of them were not. I know many people that have administrative issues because, as it seems to me, the members didn't

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family was wonderful, welcoming, and very supportive.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very integrated into the local culture. PRESHCO sets you up with a conversation partner, and that's one way to integrate yourself. You are with a host family and take classes at the local university, so those are also ways you are able to take part in the culture. There were some who did not integrate well as others, but it's really up to you and whether or not you want to put in the effort to integrate yourself into the local culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had something very medically serious happen to me while I was with PRESHCO. The program was very, very helpful and really supported me and guided me through the medical system there. A woman from the program, who is amazing, went with me to every single appointment (and stayed in the hospital with me for 13 hours!). The care I received is exactly what I would have gotten if I was home and with how accommodating the program was, I did not even really find myself wishing I was home while I was dealing with all of that.

* Safety:

The program will warn you about safety, but I never encountered any problems while I was there.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Just set a budget for yourself! All necessary costs are covered; in reality it's all up to how much you can/are willing to spend. You could get by not spending a single penny, or you could blow your money in a week. It's up to you and your spending habits, so if you're worried about spending too much just set a budget before you leave.

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

All. The. Time. ¡No inglés!

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? College Spanish
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? Make Spanish friends! If you stick with only people who speak English, you'll slip into English more than you should and really hinder your ability to get really good at Spanish! I made Spanish friends and my Spanish, both written and speaking, improved a ton solely from talking and hanging out with them.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • The host family (and their food and pets!)
  • The friends I made
  • Sevillanas dance classes
* What could be improved?
  • The academics
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Nothing. I was very well-prepared for everything that happened while I was in Spain.

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 Blazer
Craving 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.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Texto a cine
Course Department: PRESHCO
Instructor: Joaquín Roses Lozano
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This class was my favorite out of two I took with PRESHCO. The instructor was very friendly and I felt it was one of my more productive classes I took in Spain.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Patrimonio Musical Andaluz de Trandion Oral
Course Department:
Instructor: Luis Moreno Moreno
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This was my favorite class I took abroad. The professor really enjoyed having foreigners in the class and we had quite a few discussions that took into consideration the different perspectives the students in the class have (Spanish students vs. US students). The work for the class was interesting and the final project he had us do was really cool.
Credit Transfer Issues: