Semester in Córdoba Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/25/2018 to 05/25/2018 with
PRESHCO: Study Abroad in Córdoba, Spain
Being abroad has taught me where my comfort zone ends and what circumstances will lead me to step out of it.
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. |
Classes are not exceptionally difficult- there is very little work outside of class and the standards are pretty low so it's not hard to do well. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The equipo consists of 4 administrators who are a mixed bag of tricks. Some people had very positive experiences, others very negative. I personally had both strongly positive and strongly negative with the same people. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I didn't get very close to my host mom but she was very kind and supportive. |
| * Food: |
My host mom was very accommodating towards my vegetarianism. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It's hard to get involved in the spring semester because it's easy to feel like you're coming in late. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
Wellesley pushes the PRESHCO program really hard and I wish I had considered other programs. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 10€ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Because all meals are covered by PRESHCO, it is very easy to avoid spending money. |
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 |
We were told to speak Spanish but unfortunately it was very easy avoid actually doing it. |
| 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? | 272 |
| 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? | Don't be too scared to talk to people in the beginning. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| 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? |
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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? | I wish I had received more cultural background on Spanish perspectives. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
