Fell in love with Madrid. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Universidad de Carlos III (UC3M) in Leganes took time to get used to, and was the biggest "culture shock" I had coming from an American University. Although the courses I took were in English, many of them took the course materials from the Spanish version of the class and translated them (often badly) into English. A couple of my classes were based off textbooks only available in Spanish. Exams and lab prompts were usually poorly written and confusing, and the English of most of the Professors was not up to par. Oh lord, I won't even start on Aula Global. On a positive note, the other international students and Spaniards I met in the Engineering University were bright. I was able to see how someone's cultural background changed the way they solved and approached problems, and I learned an incredible amount from my peers.

On-site administration of your program

I'm assuming that Laura is the onsite administrator for Panrimo in Madrid. Laura was my rock in Madrid from the get-go. She provided guidance and support during the many bumps throughout my time in Spain, and also took the time to make sure the experience was individually tailored to my interests.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The location of my apartment was perfect, and I really enjoyed having international roommates from all over the world.

Except for the foodie excursions I took with Laura, I was responsible for buying/preparing my own food. This was fine by me.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Madrid is a fantastic city, so I was surrounded by opportunities to get involved with other international students and the local community. Unlike most study abroad programs from the U.S., I was not part of a large group of American students and lived in an apartment with Erasmus students. This was great for me because I am fine with taking the initiative to meet people/socialize, but I can see where this would be out of some students' comfort zones.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had to figure out my own healthcare, although insurance was set up by Panrimo. I did need to get a clearance of health before going abroad. While in Madrid I had to find a clinic to receive allergy shots, which I found without any problems.

Madrid is a big city, so you have to be aware of yourself and others. That being said, as long as you are smart you will be fine.

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

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

My courses were in English and at Intercambios I usually ended up teaching English to Spaniards. Learning Spanish was up to me, and there are classes that I could have taken had I wanted to (although they tended to cost quite a bit). I spoke the most Spanish when I went out to bars/clubs.

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• Apartment

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• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The city.
• The ability to travel all over Europe.
• Being able to meet people in my major from all over the world.

• The UC3M courses in English (especially exams).
• The Visa process.

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer