Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Work it harder Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/29/2016 to 12/16/2016 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Getafe

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Independence and Spanish It was worth it but had I tried harder from the beginning, I could have gained much more.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

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?

I had no health issues.

* Safety:

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

The program required independent and active attitude to make the experience worth its challenge. Although I had opportunities to make more local friends, I think I did not push myself hard enough to do so for thinking there's plenty of time, which was the biggest mistake I made. I would love to do it all over again to make it better.

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)

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? SPAN 300 in Middlebury
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH Interact with locals as much as possible and listen carefully how they talk.

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
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?
  • Independence
  • Madrid
* What could be improved?
  • Diversity of student body
  • Cultural information (how to behave at restaurants, markets, train etc. that is hard to just watch and understand)
  • Strictness of the Language Pledge
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? - There is no time for traveling if you really wish to emerge yourself to the city. - Local communities are very closed and it requires a lot of effort (and time) to actually become part of one.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Spanish Language
Course Department: Linguistics
Instructor: Ariana Suarez Hernandez
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It was not a difficult course but I learned a lot and was definitely my favorite class of the semester. The professor was very knowledgeable, organized and was willing to help students, which made this course somewhat similar to the courses in Middlebury. Students will be assessed based on one short paper review, midterm exam, final exam and attendance (including homework submission). In this course I learned about phonetics and morphology of different Spanish dialects and a little bit of Spanish syntax.
Credit Transfer Issues: I do not know yet. I am hoping to transfer this as a credit towards my minor.
Course Name/Rating:

Public Economics
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Maria Elena Palacio Iriso
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It was a challenging course not because of its content but because of its exams. Some of the problems asked in the final exam were very different from the ones in the problem sets and midterm exam and was a little tricky. The content itself is highly theoretical and mathematical (i.e. do not expect to learn about Spanish public economy).
Credit Transfer Issues: I do not know yet but the head of the Economic department read the syllabus and told me I would not have a problem transferring the credit and count it towards my major.