Fell in love with a city and its beautiful culture July 22, 2026
By Vera W (Anthropology, Brandeis University) - abroad from 05/18/2026 to 06/30/2026 with
IES Abroad: Madrid Summer - Language & Cultural Studies
It was absolutely worthwhile; I gained so much confidence with traveling abroad as well as with speaking the Spanish language in daily life.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had a tutor for my Spanish class which helped a lot with preparing for midterms and finals. Classes were fun and I loved my professors for both classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very attentive and available for anything from casual chats to helping with emergencies. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a homestay with a elderly woman and her daughter, and I had the most wonderful abroad experience because of them. I wouldn't have gotten to speak in Spanish outside of my classes if I hadn't done a homestay, and I got to learn more about cultural norms, local gems, etc. |
| * Food: |
Food in Spain essentially has no seasoning (except for salt occasionally) but overall pretty good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Madrid is like every other city regarding the possibility of dangerous situations, but I felt very comfortable solo exploring and just made sure to have a friend or two with me at night. Beware of pickpocketing especially when leaving clubs or touristy areas at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't eat out for dinner more than once a week if you want to save money. Lunches and breakfast are easy to save on if you choose foods like sandwiches and cereal. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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?
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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 knew how quickly I would adjust to using Spanish both in and out of classes. Language learning is such a nonlinear process where some days you feel fluent and other days you feel like a complete beginner. In reality, I adjusted to comprehending and speaking Spanish within the first week of the program. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
