An impactful semester Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/17/2019 to 12/13/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Madrid

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

I had previously studied abroad for a year during high school. I perfected my Spanish skills there. I was excited to relive the experience I had on my own this time. I grew a lot and became surer of the person I am, something I previously struggled with at Middlebury. I was okay with the fact I do not feel particularly integrated into Madrid because the relationships I created and the independence I gained was more important than integration.

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.	My Middlebury classes were not necessarily intense but resulted in worse grades than I received in Spanish University, which makes absolutely zero sense to me because all the effort I put into school was for my Middlebury classes.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I ended up with a very sketchy housing situation (apartment), but that was simply a lottery and cannot blame Middlebury for anything that happened.
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* 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)	It is very easy to live on whatever budget you have in Madrid.
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?	If you want to spend as little money as possible, do an apartment. You can cook for yourself and find a cheap home to live in during your time in Madird

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	There was encouragement, however, almost everyone I knew spoke English outside of the Sede.
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?	Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	2 different 300s level classes
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?	This sounds terrible, but if you actually want to practice the language, make a Spanish friend as soon as possible and limit contact to all other Americans--they will most definitely not be speaking in Spanish, especially American students not in the Middlebury program

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Other
* 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?	Independence Ease of communication with home school Ability to travel
* What could be improved?	Middlebury classes in Madrid Extracurricular activities A better apartment search procedure
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I knew that the Spanish university was significantly easier than the Middlebury school, and professors are generally more sympathetic to foreign students than I thought. That is simply not the case at the Middlebury Sede because of virtually everyone was from America.

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:	Superior Syntax
Course Department:	Spanish
Instructor:	Beatriz del Valle
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	This was the worst class I have ever taken. Beatriz was so scatterbrained I did not learn anything, and at some points confused me more than she helped me. Also, on the last day of class, she took an email I wrote and decided to have the whole class correct it without my permission. Why do this on the last day and not address the grammatical faults earlier in the semester when I can correct them and practice them?
Credit Transfer Issues:	No