Worthwhile experience in Madrid Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/22/2018 to 05/18/2018 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Getafe
How to integrate into a different culture.
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. |
Varies depending on the major, especially the year of the course. Fourth courses were somewhat challenging, first year courses were easy. |
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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? |
Lived in a homestay. I loved the family, but my commute was the biggest problem with the program. 40 minutes to get to the center of the city. 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to Getafe. |
| * Food: |
Amazing, love the tapas social culture. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I lived with a home stay, therefore I was able to get to know some locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got very sick and the Middlebury staff did everything in their power to make sure I was taking care of. Local healthcare system better than the states. |
| * Safety: |
Always felt safe. |
| 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) |
Food in Spain is cheap relative to US and other places in Europe. Plus I lived with a family so was not sending money on meals a lot. |
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? | Advanced |
| 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? | Content language courses. |
| 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 with your classmates and friends, interact with locals. |
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? |
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? | Distance from homestay to school. |
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. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
History of Economics |
| Course Department: | Economics |
| Instructor: | Sergio Roche |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Weekly evaluations and homework, but interesting. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Getting credit for my major. |
