A fantastic opportunity which I will be proud of and remember forever Past Review

By (University of Nottingham) - abroad from 09/03/2016 to 10/15/2016 with

The Intern Group: Madrid Internship Placement Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I made lots of Spanish friends and also friends with other interns. My confidence in Spanish grew hugely I gained lots of contacts

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 fantastic opportunity! My confidence when speaking Spanish grew hugely! I made many Spanish friends as well as lots of other international friends which were interns as well. Madrid is such a fantastic city and I fell in love with it! After my six week internship I was incredibly sad to leave! I really recommend you to go to Madrid and complete the internship! It is definitely something I am proud of doing!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with four other interns. Our apartment was huge! It was however very dirty when we arrived so we spent the first day cleaning. Apart from that we were satisfied with our housing as in comparison with other the interns housing it was much larger and spacious!

* Food:

We cooked for ourselves but intern Madrid organised a few events which we had paid for in the initial fee. A few examples are: Flamenco dinner Lunch after a tour in Toledo Dinner after a tout of the Real Madrid Stadium All meals with Intern Madrid were fantastic.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Fantastic! Intern Madrid create events which show you the culture and social aspects of Madrid. However it's up to you, you need to make the effort to go to the events and immerse yourself in the culture in order to really feel intergrated!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Another intern which I was living with had trouble with her wisdom teeth coming threw. Intern Madrid supported and helped her with insurance and dentist appointments.

* Safety:

Felt very safe

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

Lots of support from intern Madrid as well as them planning some brilliant events and days out

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)

It's expensive but I guess it depends on your financial status

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 75Euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Live coutiously with money, don't spend it all at once.

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

The company I worked for was a language company called Milingual, so I used lots of Spanish and also French. This was beneficial for me because I will study French, Spanish and Business studies at university.

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? A level
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Immerse yourself as much as possible in the culture and talk as much as you can with Spanish people. I made lots of Spanish friends and that was hugely beneficial. Even if you feel stupid and don't know what to say, it's important to keep trying and eventually it will come! :)

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

  • 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?
  • Making international friends
  • Speaking Spanish
  • Learning about Spain and its culture
* What could be improved?
  • More events planned by intern Madrid
  • -
  • -
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? -

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!