Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Madrid was an experience of a lifetime! June 30, 2022

By (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/12/2022 to 05/31/2022 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Madrid

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained so much and it is even hard to describe it. It was definitely worthwhile and I am so happy I got to participate!

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?

* 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

I would choose the same program, only I would probably not choose the same classes, and I would probably try living in an apartment.

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)

I spent money from my own savings as well.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Around $200-250.

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? Fluent
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Study abroad level (that I took on Middlebury campus)
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Speak with your host family, speak with locals, make new local friends.

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
  • 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?
  • Total immersion in the target language
  • Spanish way of living and culture
  • Safety of Madrid and the opportunities for young people
* What could be improved?
  • Administration relationship with students
  • Host family selection and/or more help with finding apartments
  • Listening to student feedback more on certain things
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? - Money spending: I wish I knew that I will spend a lot of money, and I wish I found better ways to spend less but still enjoy. - Food situation: I wish I knew it was going to be difficult to have regular meals at the same time because of class schedule, transports, etc. I wish I had an apartment where I could cook my own food. - Classes at UAM: I wish I knew that the classes would be dry and based on memorization, so I wouldn't choose them. This does not apply to the Middlebury classes, but to the Autonomous University of Madrid.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Immunology
Course Department: Biochemistry
Instructor: Multiple
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Extremely challenging. A lot of memorization. A lot of previous knowledge in the subject area is recommended. Most of the grade is based on the final exam (70 percent), so it was quite stressful. Would not recommend to anyone unless you are really passionate about biochemistry.
Credit Transfer Issues: I believe that I won't have any problems.
Course Name/Rating:

Virology
Course Department: Biochemistry
Instructor: Multiple
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Extremely challenging. A lot of memorization. A lot of previous knowledge in the subject area is recommended. Most of the grade is based on the final exam (50 percent), so it was quite stressful. Would not recommend to anyone unless you are really passionate about biochemistry.
Credit Transfer Issues: I believe I that I will not have any problems.
Course Name/Rating:

Spanish XX century art
Course Department: History of Art
Instructor: Ruth Gallego
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Interesting material. A lot of visits to museums, and a lot of material across many art movements. The lectures were sometimes a bit boring, but overall I would recommend the class since you learn a lot about art! And the museum visits are definitely very cool!
Credit Transfer Issues: No.
Course Name/Rating:

Native-like creative writting
Course Department: Master Program
Instructor: Mercedes Gil
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: An amazing class. The professor is exceptionally knowledgeable and even if she does not know something, she will always look it up. Intensive writing is given, and we wrote more than 50 pages of content throughout the semester, but it was never too hard. The class requires a relatively high level of previous Spanish knowledge (grammar, vocabulary, syntax, etc.).
Credit Transfer Issues: No.