A Rewarding and Extremely Fun Experience Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/21/2017 to 12/22/2017 with

UC3M / Universidad Carlos III de Madrid - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to function on my own and live in a city. My language skills also improved drastically.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

It was a challenge to switch to functioning in another language but Madrid is an incredible city with wonderful parks, nightlife, and people.

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)

It was okay but more expensive than Middlebury lets on.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100 euro
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Ask locals about which supermarkets are the cheapest.

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

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? 300
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? It is very easy to meet friendly spaniards who want to chat with you.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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?
  • difficulty of most classes
  • friendly classmates
  • I liked my professor for my grammar class at Middlebury
* What could be improved?
  • condescending staff members at the Sede Prim
  • excessively long orientation
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Don't save all of your work for the end of the semester.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Teoría de la comunicación mediática

Course Department: Periodismo
Instructor: Raul Magallon
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It was difficult to understand what was expected of us, the discussion section professor was quite rude to me, and the contents of final exam were extremely difficult to study in a second language.
Credit Transfer Issues: