Past Review
By olivia b (peace and justice studies, spanish, Wellesley College) for
CIEE: Madrid - Liberal Arts
I wish I had chosen a culture that is more different from my own. Living in Spain was too comfortable and too easy for me, not enough of a challenge. It was a nice break from Wellesley, but not much of a challenge.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2010 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses were easy and the work load was a joke compared to at my home university, but at least I had a lot of free time to explore the country and culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site administrators were great! They are nice and energetic people who know a lot about both Spanish and American culture, and living abroad in general. I had a lot of fun with them and they were always helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed with a law professor from my university and I loved everythintg about it: the apartment and its location in central Madrid (Calle Atocha 80, ciee apartment), my room, my host, my flat mates... The only negative aspect was the food arrangement; I was given ready-made bags of food each week, and they were inedible, and they refused to give me money instead so I spent a lot of my pocket money on food from the supermarket. <br /><br /> My host was great, the location was great, my American flat mates were amazing, and I got to live fairly independently, which is what I requested since I have been studying abroad for 5 years already. |
| * Food: |
The bags of food that I got were horrible, I could eat maybe one out of five each week, so it was a waste of my money and they would not let me change plans or get the money instead. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Not enough immersion, too many American students grouped together. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
One girl on my program had to go home after being robbed and raped, so maybe there should have been even more focus on how students have to stick together and never leave each other alone when going out to a club. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | I probably spent 20-30 euros at the supermarket every week, to cover breakfast, lunch for the days I wasnt't at the university, and the days when I could not eat the food in the ready-made bags I was given. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | - the monthly metro card cost me 55 euros a months, and I did not expect that beforehand. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 242, literary genres of spain and latin america |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
The majority of my peers were American students, who were more comfortable and interested in speaking English than Spanish,so unfortunately I feel like I missed out on a lot of time to practice my Spanish and to hear other students speak Spanish. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Take a direct enrollment course if you want to get to know local students and experience what a Spanish university is really like. Don't be afraid to part from the group of American students. |
