Great Learning Experience August 01, 2024
By A student (Linguistics, Brandeis University) - abroad from 05/16/2024 to 06/28/2024 with
IES Abroad: Madrid Summer - Language & Cultural Studies
Definitely worthwhile. I learned a lot about myself and my limits, and loved the firsthand experience of differences in daily life, especially public transport and healthcare, between the US and Europe
Personal Information
| 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. |
The amount of work required depends on the class, but it's all very easily manageable, and everyone has enough free time to spend time with friends and explore the city after and between classes. The time passes quickly, so exams sneak up on you; make sure to keep in mind how far away they are so you have enough time to study. Be aware that final exams cannot be rescheduled for any reason. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administrators were happy to help, friendly, and supportive. There were a couple instances, including course registration, where we weren't given information as soon as I would have liked (e.g. the required language courses were all at 9am, which we weren't told before having to select preferred times for elective courses) |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed in a residence hall. Most students were Spanish and didn't interact with the Americans. They do, however, greet everyone they pass in the hall. |
| * Food: |
Food at the dorms I stayed in was not good. Few options are provided and rotate between fairly unvarying dishes. I tired of it very quickly, and was wanting to eat other food most of the time. There was a vending machine in the dorm building with limited options including mediocre sandwiches and various types of chips and crackers. The alternative food options closest to the dorm were multiple city blocks away, but you can order food to the dorm with delivery apps like Uber Eats. Food provided on program trips, however, and at restaurants generally was very good, and buying food there is cheaper than in the US. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program provided a lot of opportunities to help with integration into the local culture, but I was unfortunately not able to take advantage of most of those, so I didn't feel like I had many connections to the Spanish people. The fact that all of the students on the program were American and our classes were only with fellow program students (Spanish professors, though) also didn't help with cultural integration, because it was harder to establish connections with local students than if we had been in classes with them. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
When I went to the ER due to Covid: - CISI insurance covered all the hospital bills. - I was prescribed meds at the hospital, which were very cheap at the many pharmacies in the area. - Administration was supportive by checking in with me frequently by email while I was sick and connecting me with the hospital. However, there is no on-site nurse, so the only way to get treatment is to go to the ER or get an appointment with a doctor. - The healthcare system is much more efficient that in the US; I didn't wait more than 10 minutes at any point in the ER, and was in and out in less than an hour. - You can get most things (covid tests, cough drops, prescription medications, etc) from any of the pharmacies on the main street near the location, though it is a bit of a walk from the dorms so when I was sick to the point of exhaustion from walking, it would have been best to have a friend pick things up for me rather than going myself because I had to get a Bolt to and from the hospital. |
| * Safety: |
Follow the advice the administrators give you at the beginning of the program |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I definitely enjoyed the program, but my top priorities in choosing it were language and timeframe, and if I were to do it again I would prioritize things differently. |
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? | ~$80 |
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 |
Courses and program activities are conducted entirely in Spanish, and we were encouraged to speak Spanish in group settings, but when program staff aren't around or in settings with just US students, English was almost always used. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 4th-year high school Spanish |
| 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? | If you watch TV or listen to podcasts on a regular basis, switch to a Spanish-speaking show while you're there to keep your brain in the target language more consistently. Also, take advantage of the activities offered by the program, especially the language exchange, because you'll get to talk to native speakers and pick up on more informal language than in class or reading, and make local friends in the meantime. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | It's really hard to make friends with Spanish students because you don't interact with them much. It's easier to make friends with other program students, but if you don't have a class with someone or live in the same housing as them, it's hard to maintain an actual friendship. It was also hard for me to find other people that I connected with well because there weren't very many queer or neurodivergent people on the program, and I am used to being at Brandeis, with a very high rate of both queerness and neurodivergence. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
