The greatest decision of my life Past Review
By Jake H (Cornell University) - abroad from 09/08/2014 to 12/13/2014 with
IES Abroad: Madrid - IES Abroad in Madrid
I greatly improved my language skills and I matured as a person. Without a doubt it was worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses were not difficult whatsoever, excluding the fact that they were all in Spanish. Some of the professors were subpar, though others were phenomenal. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The onsite program staff were incredible. They cared and checked in on every student and were always striving to improve. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a residence hall, which allowed me to improve my Spanish-speaking skills while making friends with local and Latin American students. Also, I had a 5 minute commute to classes every day, compared to the 30-45 minute commutes of my peers |
| * Food: |
Most of my meals were provided by the residence hall and they were pretty bad. The meals that IES provided either at restaurants or the "parties" we had were incredible, as well as the food i bought on my own. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
IES strongly encouraged everyone to get a flu shot since the season starts earlier there. When I went, it was a quick and easy process. |
| * Safety: |
No one in our program was robbed, mugged, pickpocketed, etc in Madrid. Someone in the residence hall, however, was mugged at knife point walking home from the Metro. |
| 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) |
I saved a lot of money on food because of the residence hall, but the night life was extremely expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 75-115 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
If you entered in the program office, you would not get a response if you didn't speak Spanish and would be told to stop speaking English. Also, there were bracelets available to show that you only wanted to speak Spanish. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | Spanish 2070- Spanish for the Medical Profession, taken Freshman year |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Just speak. You may sound like an idiot at first, but it's the only way to improve. If you can, live in the residence hall. If not, hopefully there are "intercambios" where you can meet the local students and help them practice their english while you practice your spanish. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | You should be able to speak spanish at a decently high level before living in a residence hall. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
