Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The only thing I really accomplished in the classroom was improving my Spanish, particularly my writing abilities. While I did learn some interesting things about Spanish culture, most of the academic material covered in my classes was either irrelevant or at a very basic level. With a few notable exceptions, classes were taught as lectures despite small class sizes. There was very little discussion, which seems to be typical of Spanish university classes. Grading was quite erratic. Spanish students typically feel that a grade of 5 or 6 out of 10 is just fine, and grades are handed out accordingly. It is extremely rare to get the American equivalent of an A. Of course, this is only a problem if your university accepts the transfer grades.

On-site administration of your program

This was the major weakness of IES Madrid. The on-site staff was very friendly and easy to talk to, but they rarely had a helpful answer to any concerns that I brought to them. Sometimes it was small problems, like all of the printers in the library being broken (their response was "I think there might be an ink cartridge in the closet over there) but often the problems were more significant. The staff did not seem to take many of our concerns seriously. Additionally, information about optional trips and opportunities in the community was rarely relayed in a timely manner, and many of us missed activities because of it. One of the strengths of the administration was their planning of the program trips. Those were generally well organized and a lot of fun.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a host "family" but had kitchen privileges, meaning I was responsible for my own meals (I selected this option as my second choice, with an apartment as my first choice. I paperwork was turned in early but I, and other students who requested one, did not get an apartment). I lived in the neighborhood north of Nuevos Ministerios, and area that is bustling with traffic during the work week but completely dead at night and on the weekends. I was assured by other students, advisers, professors, etc. that living with a host family would be a great opportunity for me to immerse myself in local language and culture. In reality, I was placed with a single woman (what happened to "family"?) and no roommate. The woman was VERY nice and we got along great, but she expected me to be completely independent. She wasn't around often and I don't believe that I learned any more about Spain living with her than I would have in an apartment or other living situation. I was also a little surprised that IES would place students in a homestay with no roommate and no actual family. One of the main reasons that I selected IES over other programs in Madrid was the apartment option. I have a hard time believing that IES made a genuine effort to accommodate all of us who requested an apartment given that the paperwork was completed so far ahead of the start of the program. <br /><br /> The neighborhood was very safe but probably one of the most boring places to live in Madrid. The apartment was very nice. My host mother, the only person I lived with, was very pleasant but expected me to be completely independent. I managed just fine but it was pretty boring at times without a roommate or an actual family. Because I was selected IES' kitchen privileges option, I ended up eating nearly all my meals by my self - that was a mistake.

The up side of cooking for myself was that I got to eat what I wanted when I wanted. I'm not a picky eater at all, but the supermarkets in Madrid have plenty of American-style foods for those who are.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I had a great experience in this regard, but it was mostly things I did on my own, not organized by IES.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

IES provides a very good health plan and goes to great lengths to ensure student safety.

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

The required Spanish Grammar class was easily the most worthwhile class I took. The professor (Enrique) is fantastic. IES does a reasonable job of grouping students by language ability for this class. Unfortunately there is quite a bit of variation in the quality of the professors for these classes.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans