Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A semester abroad in Madrid. Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/12/2019 to 05/20/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Getafe

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Independent living, spanish skills, appreciation for travel, met people from all over the world.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Middlebury team is great, very helpful in navigating the experience

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Stayed in an expensive but solid residence.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Didn't have any health experiences, however middlebury really shouldn't require a doctors note to take a sick day, it's a pretty big hassle to wake up with a cold/headache and have to arrrange a hospital visit, it defeats the whole purpose of staying in bed in order to rest.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Madrid program is great, if i were to try and learn spanish again I would do Madrid.

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Shop at carrefour

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
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? 300
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? Force yourself to communicate with Spaniards

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • Learning a new language
  • Traveling on weekends
  • Spanish Taberna Culture
* What could be improved?
  • Direct grade transfer stressed me out
  • The length of orientation
  • Seriously some of those orientation programs I can't remember a single thing about other than how long they were
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Some of Getafe's high level (300+) courses allow Midd students to register without warning them that they are way in over their heads (re: history of music)

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

European Cinema
Course Department: Audiovisual Studies - Getafe
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: the teacher was knowledgable about his very niche field and tested the exact stuff that he tought in class. He graded essays pretty aggressively but then again I don't know anything about film nor was the essay written in perfect spanish.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

European Union
Course Department: Middlebury
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Loved the professor and content
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Grammar
Course Department:
Instructor: Carmen Sanchez
Instruction Language:
Comments: The best course in my whole program, Carmen assigns the perfect excersizes that drive in spanish grammar rules. She's very easy to understand and I felt like it was the only spanish grammar class in my life that rapidly improved my speaking and reading abilities.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Latin American Cinema
Course Department: Audiovisual - Getafe
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Interesting film, not super engaging thematic material
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Course Department: Economic History
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Interesting content, really engaging professor, very difficult in terms of work load
Credit Transfer Issues: