Madrid: Exciting yet Comforting. Past Review

By (Economics., Wellesley College) for

CIEE: Madrid - Liberal Arts

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I think living in such an amazing city with so much life and culture has provided me with a new interest in urban development.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Getafe
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The CEH courses were really easy but the university courses were challenging because of the professors and because of the language differences. I had some great professors and I learned a lot from them.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I think that one of the strengths of the Wellesley College Study abroad office is that it provided us with the opportunity to learn about a lot of the study abroad opportunities. I think one of the weaknesses was that the information we received was really general, which made it difficult to determine whether it applied to my program.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had the best host parents. They took really great care of me and they lived in a great location of town.

* Food:

My host parents were great at cooking. If there was ever anything I did not like, they would not prepare it again.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We went to the Canary Islands, Toledo and Segovia. It was amazing.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I had no experience with healthcare issues.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I think i could have spent $40-$50 euros a week. Mostly on cover charges and drinks at clubs.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I think that traveling tends to get really expensive. Make sure to talk to your bank and be aware of withdrawal charges.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 3rd year Economics and Political Science course
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

We lived with host parents who only spoke in Spanish and we were introduced to Spanish students so that we could practice our spanish.

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

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people
* What could be improved?
  • The support for classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Do not travel outside of the country while you are in Madrid. Living in a particular country is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You can always come back to europe another time and be a backpacker.