Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

When can I go back? Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/14/2019 to 05/27/2019 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My Spanish ability increased tremendously. I also feel that I became much more independent during my time abroad.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

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

The freedom I had in the Middlebury program was crucial to my experience. Being able to live in an apartment with other spanish speakers offered me the best chance to learn about Spain and practice my Spanish.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? groceries: $50-60, outings/weekend activities: $50, random: $25-50
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I planned out my finances for the semester and had a weekly budget. I never ran out of money because of this and was able to stay ahead of finances even in the case of unexpected costs.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes

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

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

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Host Family
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?
  • General balance between freedom/structure
  • Middlebury events
* What could be improved?
  • Orientation events are overstructured and take away from first week of immersion into new country
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That San Sebastián is the coolest place 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 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:

Political Sociology
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: The content in the class was actually very interesting but the way it was taught and the way we were assessed left much to be asked for.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Contemporary History
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: This class was very interesting. Learned so much about world history (and interesting to learn from a European viewpoint vs US) and the 2 professors who taught the class were awesome.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

International Art Market
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Best class I had at Getafe. Easy but interesting work and class time felt purposeful compared to my other classes.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Art and Digital Culture
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: This class was easy and the content that we explored was largely determined by the students which I appreciated. However, the classes were extremely boring.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Spanish Syntax
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Professor Carballo was my favorite teacher I had in Spain. The quality of the classes at the Sede was substantially hire than the classes offered at Getafe.
Credit Transfer Issues: