Study Abroad in Madrid Past Review
By Alexandra Dionne (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/14/2018 to 05/15/2018 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Madrid
It was incredibly worthwhile. I got to work in a Spanish hospital and interact with patients in Spanish, which is huge for my future career goals. I also learned how to get out of my comfort zone and meet incredibly interesting people in a short period of time.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Middlebury itself had good classes, resource and academic intensity. The spanish universities were much easier and much less intense. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very organized, although it would have been nice to have more program-wide organized activities |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was great, we had no issues, and they helped me learn a lot about the culture of Spain. |
| * Food: |
The food my host family cooked was great, and I was able to find plenty of places for meals on my own. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This mostly happened through my own personal activities, not through the program itself. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I needed health care twice while I was there, and each time it was pretty easy to find the place I needed and figure out payment. It was very accessible and easy to get medicines. |
| * Safety: |
Incredibly safe. I never felt nervous, even walking around the city alone late at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I had a great time with Middlebury. I wish we'd had more program activities and trips, but overall I had a very good experience. |
Finances
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* 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) |
For the most part it was fine. I had few significant, necessary costs. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I tried to use about 300 euro a month for food (lunches and snacks) and other expenses. Sometimes went over. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Have a monthly limit. Don't eat out all the time, and if you do don't feel like you have to go to a sit down place. Use public transportation! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The program was very strict on always using Spanish |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | A college 200 level literary analysis 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? | Find locals to talk to. For me, it was people I met at church and playing soccer. Also, talk to your host family! They helped me a lot with grammar, random questions, etc |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I'd known more about the internship opportunities |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
