Madrid: DO IT. Past Review
By Sarah F (Global Studies, Providence College) for
CIEE: Madrid - Liberal Arts
To be honest, Spain was much less academically rewarding and more rewarding in a personal sense- I learned about my strengths, weaknesses, came to terms with things that I need to work on, pushed myself, and changed my way of thinking to adapt to local culture.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad de Carlos III |
| 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. |
I enjoyed the sociology class that I took directly at Universidad Carlos III the most; more was expected of me, but I also learned the most. The classes attended by primarily American students felt too altered, like I wasn't getting the real Spanish university experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Strengths: the employees. Each one was dedicated to us having a great experience and taking something meaningful from the program. The size of the group was also great- about 16, I believe. It was hard to adjust to the university at first, but we eventually got the hang of it through trial and error, mostly. Great experience, expectations met. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Close to nightlife, arts districts, and fun cafes. Loved my location and host mom. |
| * Food: |
There weren't too many fresh fruits and vegetables in my diet, but I never went hungry. I recommend finding new places to go out to eat with friends- don't just go to Cien Montaditos every time! There are lots of great vegetarian restaurants, as well. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I love to dance, so I was all over the discoteca scene. You have to go to a flamenco show, of course, and make a point to visit the Caixa Forum, Casa Encendida, and the creative community co-op La Tabacalera. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Super safe, but still be vigilant. Only one instance of robbery on my whole trip. Luckily, I never got seriously ill, so I'm not sure how the health system works within the program! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you want to be social, be prepared to spend money. Unfortunately, it's largely unavoidable. All social activities are done en la calle, most of which require money. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
We had optional language mixers with Spanish students to practice our Spanish while they practiced their English. |
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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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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