Spain, Contrasting Cultures within Past Review
By Daniel Z (Financial Economics, University of Rochester) for
IES Abroad: Madrid - IES Abroad in Madrid
Minus a few hiccups, I do not regret going to Madrid. It gave me different perspective on Spain, and I was able to realized that I enjoy Catalan culture a lot more, and Catalan people.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Complutense |
| 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. |
Our academic advisors were very helpful, and tried to help in whatever way they could. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Everything was provided, I was more of a client however I feel I did not get any bang for the buck. I was i had a different homestay or apartment if i had another chance in this program. |
| * Food: |
The food was good, especially at restaurants, bars. However buying prepared meals at El Corte Ingles was also a good option. My homestay mom cooked horribly unfortunately. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
IES did very good field trip, and tried to arrange culture programs so that we could meet other Spanish students and experience Spanish culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Depends During the week Mon-Fri=50-100 euros/week Sat-Sun=25-60 euros/weekend when on trips |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | None, it is better to do your local grocery shopping at stores such as Carrefour, or other local markets. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPN 200 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
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Other Program Information
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* 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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This is a good program if students like a small program that tries to focus on Spanish within a large metropolitan city. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Financial Mathematics |
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| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Yes to credit transfer, no to recommending it to other students. It was too difficult and too much work for a class. |
