Madrid: Exciting yet Comforting. Past Review
By Ana M (Economics., Wellesley College) for
CIEE: Madrid - Liberal Arts
I think living in such an amazing city with so much life and culture has provided me with a new interest in urban development.
Personal Information
If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Getafe |
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The CEH courses were really easy but the university courses were challenging because of the professors and because of the language differences. I had some great professors and I learned a lot from them. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I think that one of the strengths of the Wellesley College Study abroad office is that it provided us with the opportunity to learn about a lot of the study abroad opportunities. I think one of the weaknesses was that the information we received was really general, which made it difficult to determine whether it applied to my program. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had the best host parents. They took really great care of me and they lived in a great location of town. |
* Food: |
My host parents were great at cooking. If there was ever anything I did not like, they would not prepare it again. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We went to the Canary Islands, Toledo and Segovia. It was amazing. |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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* Safety: |
I had no experience with healthcare issues. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I think i could have spent $40-$50 euros a week. Mostly on cover charges and drinks at clubs. |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I think that traveling tends to get really expensive. Make sure to talk to your bank and be aware of withdrawal charges. |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 3rd year Economics and Political Science course |
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Language acquisition improvement? |
We lived with host parents who only spoke in Spanish and we were introduced to Spanish students so that we could practice our spanish. |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Do not travel outside of the country while you are in Madrid. Living in a particular country is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You can always come back to europe another time and be a backpacker. |