My time in Spain was transformative. Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/15/2018 to 05/05/2018 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Madrid

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

I gained a more international outlook. I had little experience of life outside of the US, besides going on vacation. I think living outside the US is a viable option for me in the future, and I owe that in large part to this experience.

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
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* 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:	My wallet was taken from my bag on the metro coming back to Atocha from Getafe. I sat with my bag between my legs (as instructed by administration), but a woman sat next to me and appeared to spill the contents of her bag on the floor. She was leaning over to pick up all of her stuff, and then she left. I had this feeling that I should check for my wallet, and when I did it was gone. I ran down the train yelling in Spanish for this woman. I found her, and we were about to pull into Atocha. No one around me would even look me in the eye as I was trying to get someone to find a security guard once we all got off the train, but an American finally said he'd find someone if I kept ahold of the woman. She ran off the train, and I ran after her. The other American found a security guard and had him chasing us too. I went up the escalator holding onto the woman's shirt from behind so she couldn't escape. At the top of the escalator, police officers stopped her. She kept yelling that the wallet wasn't in the bag and she held the bag open to the officers and tried to hide my wallet inside. I could see it and pointed to it and the police put her in handcuffs. I got my wallet back, but honestly chasing after this woman wasn't the smartest idea. She easily could have had a knife, and I could have gotten hurt. Moral of the story, just be safe and keep your bag zipped, even when it's between your feet on the metro. Always be aware of the people around you. It worked out in the end for me, and now I have this great story, but it could have been bad.
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)

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
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Other
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The admins were very helpful
* What could be improved?	It was easy to get away with speaking English, but I don't know how the school could do a better job of that without being too invasive
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I had known how transformative this time in my life would be.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Economic History
Course Department:	Economics
Instructor:	Don't remember
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	The course was challenging, but not too bad. The teacher was helpful. I participated in class more. We were assessed with weekly papers and exams.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No.