Breaking Boundaries in Madrid January 24, 2024

By A student (Computer Science Statistics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/22/2023 to 12/19/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Getafe

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned that what is most important in life really is the strength of your relationships with people. Feeling on the outside of a culture and society for a while really makes you think about what does matter in your life. This was absolutely a worthwhile experience.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I found the educational experience as a whole very interesting. It was eye opening to take classes with native Spanish speaking students and more or less immerse myself with their school systems. The intensity of the courses was comparable to courses I have taken at Middlebury, but I would say that they were slightly easier. They were harder in different way. The courses definitely were less work than Middlebury courses yet the exams felt more challenging because most of the learning happens on your own.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	There was a lot of support in place at the Middlebury headquarters in Madrid. I felt supported in any sort of ask that I had.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I enjoyed my living arrangements. I think that living in a shared apartment with guys of similar age was nice for the immersion aspect, however definitely made my abroad experience more challenging to settle in and feel comfortable.
* Food:	The food was very inexpensive in Madrid and most of Spain. This was very nice for me as I was also cooking a lot. The food is of good quality and healthy.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	It felt hard to fully integrate myself into the local culture as I spent a lot of time either in class or commuting to class. I wish I had made more of an effort to join some club or local group.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	It was fairly easily accessible and my program was extremely helpful in getting me the right care.
* Safety:	Very very safe city. Madrid felt very safe and I did not really ever feel in danger. There were a couple incidents among my friends of theft but nothing too major.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I think that if I could do it again, I would go back to Madrid. I loved the city.

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?	100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Cooking saves a lot of money - cook more.

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?	A Spanish300+ level course which focused on writing.
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?	I would say the best way to practice is to hang out with friends from classes that are native speakers and try to chat casually with them.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	Food Culture Academic Support
* What could be improved?	Scheduling
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish that I knew that it was going to be difficult.

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 Urbanite A 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:	Statistic II
Course Department:	Statistics
Instructor:	Macarena Bocho
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	The class did not feel that difficult as the content was rather straightforward and did not depend greatly on my ability to translate the information to my native language. This made the examinations much easier.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No.

Course Name/Rating:	Basic Principles of Databases
Course Department:	Computer Science
Instructor:	Luis Morato
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	The class was a bit challenging, but that challenge more arose from a lack of outside of classwork studying. I was assessed on tests and group projects. The group projects were hard to facilitate at times.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I did not.