Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Would recommend to anyone! August 08, 2023

By (International & Global Security, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/19/2023 to 06/01/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Getafe

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I really enjoyed studying abroad. It gave me a chance to learn more about the culture and to learn more about me!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Had some issues with housing but Middlebury was quick to fix the issue and move me to a living arrangement that was a better fit

* Food:

This was a bit on me, but I would say definitely tell your hosts what foods you like and don't like and they'll try to accommodate. I didn't give them many preferences at first, so it wasn't the best food at first but got better after I told them my preferences

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Program did a great job instructing us on how to access healthcare services

* Safety:

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

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? Around $200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Ask your host parents if it's ok for you to use the kitchen to make yourself lunch everyday. If they say yes, go out and buy some things you know how to cook and like to eat and try to spice it up a bit. I did this toward the end of my stay and saved a good amount of money. I wish I had done it earlier.

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? Intermediate
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? Spanish 300
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International 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?
  • Supportive staff
  • Interesting classes with supportive professors (at the Middlebury school)
* What could be improved?
  • Before we arrived, we were told we would have many options for classes, but after arriving we were limited and not allowed to take certain classes even if in spanish
  • Organize more events for students to meet locals
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The program pushes students to meet locals but there is no incentive to meet international students from different programs. I understand that the point of studying abroad is meeting the locals and learning more about the culture and language but meeting locals in Madrid was pretty hard. I found it easier to befriend other international students. I feel like we were a bit discouraged from befriend other international students.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

El consumidor frente a las grandes empresas
Course Department: Law
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It was a challenging class to follow along the whole time but I really enjoyed it overall. The assessments were completed through group exams. We would all worked in groups of 3-6 people. I think this was the best time for me to better understand the content and ask my peers questions I had. The professor is very knowledgeable and actually invested in learning students' names. I feel like I learned a good amount and this class pushed me to ask my classmates questions and interact with them.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Comunicación y participación ciudadana en la red
Course Department: Journalism
Instructor:
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues: