Mayhem In Madrid: How To Have The Best Summer Ever Past Review
By Sara (King's College London) - abroad from 07/02/2016 to 08/12/2016 with
The Intern Group: Madrid Internship Placement Program
I learnt how to be more confident with speaking Spanish, how to live independently and take care of a household as well has how to manage my time better and how to work and live in another country.
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. |
The personal development aspects of the programme were my favourite, my internship was really tailor made, and the professional development workshop we had with Shiva was very hands on and personal, she was able to help me with specific questions and i found her really relatable as she is a South Asian woman like me. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Intern Group were very efficient, friendly and understanding - they were able to fix any problems i had and were always there for me when i had questions about my internship or living in Madrid. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
After a few complications, The Intern Group found me a lovely spacious flat near Ventas, where the amazing Plaza de Torros is, a huge tourist attraction in Madrid. The spectacular views i had from my balcony were unbeatable, and i was lucky enough to be sharing only with one other girl, so we had the place to ourselves which was great. I was right by a main street filled with amazing restaurants and outlets, it was a really great place. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
As the local community where were was living were Muslim like myself and my flatmate, i felt instantly integrated as i was able to visit the local Mosque and interact with lots of the locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Personally i felt relatively safe, however there were lots of cultural adjustments that pushed me out of my comfort zone. for example, our landlord would enter our flat without knocking sometimes, or without calling to give us notice a few days in advance. Also, our bedroom doors did not have locks so this was something we had to adapt to. The Intern Group were really great in accommodating this as they were able to get us locks really quickly. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Madrid is a phenomenal place, there was an abundance of places to visit and things to do. I never got bored, and i really enjoyed practising my Spanish. However most importantly, there were a million things which i didn't get to see/do, so i'll definitely be back again. From having breakfast on the top floor of el Corte Ingles Gran Via, to getting lost in the wonders of the art in Museo El Prado; Madrid is an exciting city with always something new to offer its guests. |
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) |
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| 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? | Get an international debit card from WeSwap that allows you to upload money straight from your home bank account onto the the card, converting it into the currency you want. Also, budget before you come, and make allowances for emergencies or impromptu holidays you might go on on the weekends while you're not working. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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 know more about Spanish culture and what it's like living and working abroad - i also know a little bit more Spanish, which i wish i had learnt before i had gone! |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
