Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Best 3 months ever Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/04/2016 to 12/17/2016 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Getafe

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Very worthwhile, learned a lot of skills to be independent and self-reliable. Learned how to speak better Spanish and find commonalities with strangers.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

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

Madrid was an amazing city, school wasn't too difficult, and crew we had was great.

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)

Outside of going out, the food and personal expenses were pretty minimal even if youre eating out every meal.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100 euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't go to the tourist spots.

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

Language Pledge

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? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Spanish 300
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Just do it.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Madrid
  • Malaspina
  • People
* What could be improved?
  • Housing set up
  • Transportation
  • Distance
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Don't go to the tourist spots.

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:

Cine y Television en Espana
Course Department: Cine
Instructor: Ibañez
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Not too challenging, no field trips, all focused on spanish film. Teacher was alright, but class was great. We had two papers and a test.
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

Historia Economica
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Cesar
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Yes, very challenging. No field trips. Teacher was very knowledgeable and understanding of language barrier
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

Literatura Erotica
Course Department: Literatura
Instructor: Carlos Caballero
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Not challenging at all. No field trips. Teacher acted like he didn't want to be there and same with the students. Only had one final paper which was nice.
Credit Transfer Issues: No
Course Name/Rating:

Sede Prim
Course Department: Spanish
Instructor: Carmen
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Yes challenging. No field trips but required trips to explore the city. Best teacher I've had in my life. PArticipated way more than I normally would. A couple tests, papers, and hw assigments
Credit Transfer Issues: No