Unforgettable (ft. Nat King Cole?) Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/28/2017 to 12/20/2017 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Getafe

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Worthwhile. I came out speaking better Spanish and having a better understanding of the Spanish society and culture.

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.

A little burned out towards the end of November, primarily because of the course load and the requirement of the internship.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The internship experience I had was not as advertised. I really like Aida––she is very helpful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I like my host family. The only downside: It's a two-hour commute back and forth between my host family and the university, and a one-hour commute between my internship place and my host family. In a day when I had to work and go to school, that's three hours on the train!!!!

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We could need more interaction with local students

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Did not have to pay for any visit to the doctors. Great!

* Safety:

Safer than I thought. Although I did get randomly stopped by armed police asking for my passport.

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

My Spanish improved a lot. Made 1 Spanish friend––could have done better had I not spent so much time on the internship. I wished I had not done the internship (20 hours per week in addition to difficult commute), had cared less about grade, and had spent more time venturing around the city. I had the chance to do a lot of local stuff and be a Madrileño: learning how to cook paella (which I still do with my friends back in the States), watching a theater show (La casa de Bernarda Alba), watching a Spanish movie (La llamada, which is up on Netflix, check it out!), and traveling. I traveled on my own to País Vasco and Valencia and had some of the most wonderful memories. I traveled with friends to Barcelona, Sevilla, Paris, Milan, and other places as well. To sum up, I went to 12 different cities in Spain and 16 different World Heritage Sites.

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 bad. Drinks are cheap but clubbing is expensive in Madrid. I did not go clubbing that much.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 180
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Use public transportation and avoid taxi or Uber unless necessary. Madrid is very walkable.

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

There's a language pledge. I had to speak it 24/7

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? 350-level Spanish Course
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? Nah if you are enrolled in a Middlebury program your language skills naturally get better due to the Language Pledge.

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
  • Americans
  • International 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?
  • Language Pledge
  • Ability to directly enrolled in courses in local university
* What could be improved?
  • INTERNSHIP––not as advertised
  • More organized activities between program participants and local students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? DON'T DO THE INTERNSHIP––IT'S A TRAP (way too demanding in terms of time commitment and the grading sucks; nobody in my program who did it ended up liking it) Relax––Don't be so intense; you are there to enjoy the experience.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Economic Progress in Spain

Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Leandro Prados de la Escosura
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It's a challenging course, yes. It involved a lot of reading, but you walked out with an in-depth understanding of the Spanish economy as we come to know it today. The professor is a famous scholar and is very knowledgeable. Good lecturing and small class-size make this class a gem.
Credit Transfer Issues: Middlebury was very ready to grant me credit when I asked for it.