Madrid: Expect the Unexpected Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was much larger than expected. The grading system was fairly similar for each class, with the midterm and final making up the grade for the term. This would have been fine if the teachers were organized and stayed on track, but this was not the case. The Politics class was a waste of time as it was more focused on student questions than actual Spanish politics. The teacher was extremely nice, but he allowed students to ask about ANYTHING during class which often resulted in discussions that had nothing to do with politics. The literature class was graded extremely unfair. Knowledge of the major themes and ideas in the text was insufficient for a passing grade. Instead word choice and minute details were expected to be memorized. It was widely felt that teachers were not respectful of the fact that for most students this was the first time they were taking all classes in a second language. With the exception of the European Union class, teaching methods were highly unorganized. Student interaction was minimal, for the most part it was listening to teachers talk.

On-site administration of your program

The program director, Ray Green, was great. He was friendly and understanding. The housing director was also very nice and accommodating. The "ayudantes," which were previous students that were supposed to serve as on-site guides, were terrible. They were in the same office as the rest of the administration which defeated the purpose of having privacy to handle matters with students. They were rude, condescending and very unapproachable. It's a shame because with the right personnel this feature could have been very beneficial for the students in the program.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The first host family was an older woman who understood no English. She kept to herself and I ate meals alone. It was extremely uncomfortable and very far from everything, and was also not safe. The house I moved in to was the opposite. It was a young family, with three kids ages 5, 10, and 12. The family was extremely nice and provided everything I needed. It was walking distance to the school and close to downtown. They treated me as a family member and were very sweet. The room was very small but it was a flat so it was expected to be smaller.

Content with the food.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Nothing spectacular, Flamenco show was probably the only memorable part.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I felt safe in my particular neighborhood, but it was also the most affluent area of Madrid. Other people did not feel so safe and I knew of many instances where students were mugged. Health related issues were not really addressed by the program, when you were sick you dealt with it on your own.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Host family, teachers. Most students spoke english.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Madrid

• Faculty, helpers, library/resources, computer lab