Experiencing Spain's People, Language, Culture and Food Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/06/2019 to 05/20/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Madrid

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I gained cultural knowledge of Spain and other European countries. I learned how to navigate Madrid and other cities. I tried new foods, learned Spanish history and had a great time hanging out with friends.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

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)	You can live in Madrid cheaply!

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?	220

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

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	being in a city, new experiences host family
* What could be improved?	class content (I would take more classes at Middlebury)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I had a better understanding of the class differences at Middlebury's school vs the local university (Carlos III)

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Political Sociology
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	It was challenging, but more because we read political and sociology theory in spanish which is difficult as a non-native speaker.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I have yet to try to count this class for my major

Course Name/Rating:	European Union
Course Department:	at Middlebury
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	I learned a lot about the politics and difficulties of the european union in this class -- current issues with brexit, europe's tension with germany. Sometimes the professor got off topic in class but they were often enjoyable tangents.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Adv Spanish
Course Department:	at Middlebury
Instructor:	Carmen
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	It was a challenging course but enjoyable. Carmen was my favourite professor abroad -- although strict she knew how to teach spanish, and show us small nuances in the language.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No

Course Name/Rating:	Intl Art Markets
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	This course gave me some good tidbits of knowledge about art auction houses, recent robberies and other crazy art stories. The professor was very nice and understanding, but sometimes the content became law focused which was hard to follow and a bit mundane.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No