Best semester of my life. Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/27/2018 to 12/10/2018 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Getafe

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I greatly improved my Spanish and learned more about the culture of Madrid. It was definitely worth while and I plan to spend a lot of time there in the future.

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?

* Safety:

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

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)

Food, drinks, and rent added up very fast.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Limit expensive drinks while out.

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? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Spanish 401
How many hours per day did you use the language?

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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Housing situation (people + location)
  • Getting to know Madrid (housing search at the beginning helped)
  • The people I met from all over the world
* What could be improved?
  • Review policies in Spanish classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Wish I knew about Takos al Pastor (restaurant near city center).

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:

Advanced Communication

Course Department: Spanish
Instructor: Carmen Carballo Sanchiz
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This course did help me practice my language skills. The teacher however was not understanding and her policies were ridiculously uptight compared with my classes at Getafe and the city of Madrid in general. This class was my least favorite part of an otherwise amazing semester abroad and I cannot recommend it to students in the future.
Credit Transfer Issues: