A look back on Madrid Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/12/2017 to 06/02/2017 with

UC3M / Universidad Carlos III de Madrid - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

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

I learned a lot about myself quite frankly. I felt challenged like I never had, but in a very good way (maybe not in the moment sometimes but in the end). I learned about Spain by being integrated into daily life, which I wouldn't trade for anything. I did not make many friends there because it was mostly a commuter campus, so I would return home after class every day.

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.	Taking classes in Spanish adds to the overall difficulty, but I was proud of myself for how well I followed it. The classes were not extremely challenging, many people did not put in very much work and still did well.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Very proactive and easy to work with.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I was not a fan of my residencia Mi Casa Inn. It had a great location right off of Gran Via, but I was really frustrated with the communal living arrangement and wish I had gone for an apartment.
* Food:	I love the food in Madrid. You can find a ton of variety but also great Spanish cuisine.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I felt very integrated through my school and my activities (T-oigo being paired with a Spanish family).
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I had no health problems but felt that if I had had any they would have been taken
* Safety:	I never felt in danger in Madrid. I was conscious of my surroundings at all times, especially at night, but the police there are so helpful and make you feel very safe.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes While it was sometimes challenging, being integrated in a Spanish University is essential to see how other students live their lives, interact with peers and professors and how they work. It was a bit of a commute from Madrid to Getafe, but I didn't mind reading on the train.

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)	Food is extremely affordable in Madrid and so are plane tickets/car rides
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	probably $40 on groceries and $30 on eating out
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Take blah blah car for travel around spain.

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	Language Pledge
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?	350 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?	Set up intercambios with local students, find a family to either live with or do t-oigo, play soccer or whatever your sport is, work with Spanish students on group projects. It's helpful talking to people within the Midd program in Spanish, but exponentially more helpful when you are talking to a native speaker.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Cultural elements I found through Middlebury and my own experiences The Food The friendliness and generosity of Spaniards
* What could be improved?	More time to look at classes offered
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	This is more personal but I feel like a lot of people aren't ok doing things alone. For me, once I got over the internal inability to do things by myself, my mentality was I'm not going to miss out on anything in Madrid just because I don't have someone to do it with me. I think it was a really important thing to learn. I wish I knew that in the Spanish university system, you don't have much work throughout the semester but then it really hits you in the last month when you have a final paper and exam and those are the two components of your grade.

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 Urbanite A 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Sociologia de Espana
Course Department:	Sociology
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	The course was not challenging and easy to follow. We were assessed on one group paper, multiple smaller projects (about one per week) and a final. The teacher (I forget her name) was not the best, but a very kind woman who was appreciative of those who participated and made an effort. The content is very applicable and I think necessary to understand while living in Spain.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I haven't gone through this process yet. I would 100% recommend this class purely to understand more about Spain as the country you are living in and what makes it work.