Six weeks of excitement, cultural immersion, and self discovery! Past Review
By Sharon Kwinjo (Yale University) - abroad from 05/16/2018 to 06/27/2018 with
IES Abroad: Madrid Summer - Language & Cultural Studies
The experience was definitely worth it. I got to understand myself better, both in terms of when I am alone as well as in group settings. I learnt how to budget better, how to make myself comfortable in a completely different culture and language settings, as well as how to make other people feel comfortable when I myself am still trying to do the same.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
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? |
My host parents were the absolute best! |
| * Food: |
Spanish food, is INCREDIBLE! |
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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: |
Like in any major European city, pickpocketing is a real issue, but IES Staff were very careful to teach us the ways in which we could avoid being victims of it. Beyond that, Madrid was a safe place to be. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
YES! IES Madrid was incredible. The staff were friendly and my host parents were incredible. Madrid is also a wonderful city to live in. The people are friendly and open. |
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) |
This just depends on how much you choose to eat out/go out. I survived pretty well on about $60 or so a week. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $60 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't get caught up in the initial whirlwind of wanting to spend your money in the first couple of days/weeks. You need to pace yourself. You also have to come up with a budget (unless you are draining from a bottomless tap). Set your budget and stick to it. One more thing, bring US dollars with you, and change them to Euros at the airport in Madrid - they charge less commission than some of the places in US airports. |
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 |
All classes and interactions with program staff were conducted in Spanish (although the staff understood English well enough to communicate with you if you absolutely needed to). |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 130 |
| 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? | Speak in the foreign language even when you are with your English-speaking friends. It really helps you to get comfortable with the language and to correct the smaller grammatical errors that you sometimes don't notice. |
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? | You need to budget!!! Happy budget = happy you. Money can be a real stress-inducer if you don't plan. |
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.' |
