Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I Did the Best I Could With the Living Situation I was Forced into by My Program Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/24/2019 to 05/22/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Getafe

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that I had to rise above administrative failures. My friends and the city made the experience better.

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?

While our program did encourage us to get connected to the local culture, I was not as active as I could have been. This is not the program's fault.

* 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

The program had faults but I tried my best to have a positive outlook and endure the struggles I had to go through.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If I had lived in a home-stay, I would have had less disposable income and a more dissatisfactory experience.

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? Intermediate
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? 300
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? Follow the palabra de honor and do intercambios. Meet people from Spain.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Other
* 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?
  • Friends
  • Madrid itself
  • My resilience
* What could be improved?
  • Housing
  • Making more opportunities for intercultural interactions with local students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had anticipated the difficulties of dealing with unhelpful administration in a foreign country.

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:

Lengua 2407
Course Department: Middlebury School in Spain-- Grammar
Instructor: Carmen Carballo
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: I liked this class because the professor knew what she was doing and was very good at explaining things. Her assignments were pretty helpful and I participated pretty frequently in this class than I have had in the past at Middlebury.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.
Course Name/Rating:

Politica Europea
Course Department: Ciencia Política
Instructor: Ruth Ferrero-Turrión
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It was challenging. I struggled to understand what was going on in class because I was not quite fluent in Spanish.
Credit Transfer Issues: I did not attempt to transfer credits
Course Name/Rating:

Historia del terrorismo
Course Department: Departamento de Humanidades
Instructor: Eduardo González Calleja
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Very difficult class. Lecture based. No participation required. 10 page paper at the end (1.5 spaced) and final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues: Did not attempt to transfer
Course Name/Rating:

Sociología Política
Course Department: Sociología
Instructor: José Antonio Gómez Yáñez
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It was challenging to understand but the professor was pretty understanding and willing to explain things multiple times after class. Lecture based but also participation based as well. Presentation and short response papers.
Credit Transfer Issues: Did not attempt to transfer.
Course Name/Rating:

Testimoniando con Imágenes
Course Department: Humanities: History, Geography and Art
Instructor: Konstantino Kornetis
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Not too difficult because the professor spoke Spanish as a second/third language and therefore, enunciated his words more clearly. 1 mid-term response paper, 10 page final paper, and presentation.
Credit Transfer Issues: Did not attempt.