Madrid, Me Mata! (Madrid, you kill me!) Past Review
By Emily Bowen (Bates College) - abroad from 01/05/2018 to 05/04/2018 with
IES Abroad: Madrid - Language & Area Studies
I gained independence, organization when it comes to travel, more social skills, and of course, I saw an improvement in my Spanish. It was absolutely worthwhile! My school blessed me with money to travel, eat well, and explore my new favorite city in Europe, Madrid. It was unforgettable.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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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? |
I had 3 dogs, my own room, and bathroom. What could be better? |
| * Food: |
My host mom's cooking was BOMB! I loved coming home each night to delicious homemade Spanish food! |
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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? |
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| * Safety: |
Never felt unsafe once. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Being in the IES Abroad Madrid program was truly a unique experience for someone who hadn't travelled much in her life, and suddenly was given the opportunity and funds to travel Europe! Madrid was absolutely perfect for me as a city girl because I felt 100% safe there, I had a great home, three dogs and delicious food every day (shout out to my host mom!), access to quick and easy transportation, and I lived a short 15 minute walk away from my school. Being in this program exposed me to being a true madrileño due to all the events IES hosted, and all the resources they gave us when it came to exploring night life or traveling. I miss Madrid every day, and it will always feel like home to me. |
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 struggled financially for a few weeks towards the end of my abroad experience due to the fact that I had an issue with an airline paying me back for an incident with my bags/flight info that was their fault, but other than that, I did pretty well. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably $100-250/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | BUDGET, and grocery shop! I know this sounds common sense, but this saved my life when I was abroad. For the first few months, I ate out every day for lunch, which really hurt me financially. Definitely have a budget plan done before you leave for how much you'll spend weekly on food, travel, etc. Grocery shopping is way cheaper than eating out every day, trust me. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | 230 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Talk to as many Spaniards as possible! I am a social butterfly, and love nightlife, so talking to men and women in clubs/bars/on the street was easy for me. For anyone who feels more introverted, or isn't into being social at night, definitely make it a habit of speaking as much as possible and to as many Spanish-speakers as possible. It's super easy to want to speak English to your American peers all abroad, but I saw significant growth in my speech when I was wiling to be corrected by others and spoke as much as I could. Don't be afraid of making mistakes! |
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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| 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? | I know that budgeting and organization is key when it comes to travel and taking care of yourself every day. I spent way too much money eating out, when I should've been grocery shopping from the start. Travel is expensive too unless you plan ahead! |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
