Madrid was worth every penny! Past Review
By Sergio F (business admin, University of California - Riverside) for
ISA Study Abroad in Madrid, Spain
For me it was more of a general, personal maturity. I was a bit older than the other students (27) and had never lived away from home. Everyone was great, and I learned there is so much more out there for me. I am now pursuing a degree in Law.
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 |
VERY professional and organized, especially the day trips and trip to Morocco. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
3 bed 2 bath condo right in the middle of everything, very nice area and quaint but nice condo. Lived close to O'Donnell subway stop on Calle Doctor Esquerdo. Antonio de Nebrija university was a bit far away but great subway system made it easier. Condo came with everything we needed as far as linens and pots/pans, fridge, washer. |
| * Food: |
Food is served very bland in Madrid, bring your own Ranch dressing! Restaurants are expensive, they charge you for the bread and usually no free refills. I like to cook so I did a lot of cooking, and it's way cheaper. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We went on many trips. We went to Sevilla, Toledo, Malaga, and Barcelona to name a few. Some of those were more than one night stay. The trip to Morocco was the best and I highly recommend it. It costs extra but well worth it. The only thing that was not good was no bathroom on bus. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The program directors were very professional and well organized. They handled all situations with respect and great care. I heard horror stories of some host families not being the best at taking care of some students (ie. the food wasn't great and repetitive, strict rules). The Madrilenos I encountered didn't seem to care much for Americans so if you go to a store don't be surprised if they are rude, learn some Spanish before you go it will be easier on you. |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| 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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Madrid is big city and so is the program there. There's something for everyone and you can definitely find a group of people to befriend and do things together with. There's plenty of places to visit and the nightlife is also good, just be careful with the pickpocketers. You will definitely benefit the most if you are a social, extroverted person who likes to travel. It also helps to have a lot of money because it's expensive and like I said there's tons to do and see. |
