Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Past Review

By (Spanish Language and Literature., Providence College) for

CIEE: Madrid - Liberal Arts

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely worthwhile but I would have changed some things about my situation such as living and my program.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Universidad Carlos III Madrid
The term and year this program took place: Fall 2009

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I thought my program could have informed me on many more things before going aborad. I didnt even know I was going to be living in a homestay because the descriptions of the living situations were so confusing. I also wish I had known how small the program actually was.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived by myself with a young couple. <br /><br /> I did not like living without other students because I rarely socialized with my hosts.

* Food:

I did not like the food very much in my housing especially that I had to go by another person's schedule for when I had to eat.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I enjoyed the social aspects and traveling but I wish I lived more in the center of Madrid to be more accessible to the social life.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt very safe/

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try and eat very cheapy and stay at cheap places when you travel.

Language

Language acquisition improvement?

I spoke Spanish about 60 to 70 percent of the time so I definitely improved a lot.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I would definitely go abroad because it is an experience you will never be given again.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Literature Hispanoamericana
Course Department:
Instructor: ?
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It was very hard because the professor spoke very quickly and had a difficult accent to understand and I felt that many of the other students were ahead of me.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Literatura Espanola
Course Department:
Instructor: ?
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This course was good. There was a lot of reading but the professor was very good at explaining it.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Lengua Avanzada Alto
Course Department:
Instructor: Fatima
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This course was good because it taught me the proper way to say things, how the Spaniard actually speak not just out of a textbook.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Linguistica General
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This was my course that I took with other Spaniards It was very interesting but also hard because many of the terms were even words in english that I wouldnt have known.
Credit Transfer Issues: