A great chapter in my life! February 18, 2023

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

When looking at UAM, I feel the education could have been a bit better. Maybe it's because I'm coming from Middlebury where there is a lot of individual attention given to students from professors and there are multiple check ins of understanding material through many forms such as peer mentors, assigning quizzes, worksheets, practice problems, or chapter review/exams etc,. The UAM did not have any of those reinforcing assignments, one of my courses had not 1 single assignment the whole year, just lectures then show up to take your exam and submit your lab report. My other course did have a few more presentations/labs, but that was specifically the lab portion of the course that would line up with the unit. No study guide was provided and it was very "figure it out yourself". It could also be that the UAM was basically everything I did not want in a college such as it being a big campus, so my classes were bigger, I had to commute 45 minutes everyday, which also meant that if I wanted to study in the schools library I'd be far away from home. I think the UAM is good as an institution based on my peers, but personally, although I did not mind it too much, I think I'd try a different institution specifically because it does not match with my interests. In terms of Middlebury School in Spain, I LOVED Professor Layna Ranz's class! Such an amazing, passionate Professor. He understands students and is very very passionate about teaching, while having so many life experiences and is able to relate to what he is teaching as he lived through some parts. Really amazing experience and would recommend his class to anyone. (We liked him so much we attended his book showing)

On-site administration of your program

The on-site administration is AMAZING! Carolina es la maxima!! there to support any and all students with everything she possibly could and she's super charismatic and genuine. Teruca is so nice and understanding, makes sure you're keeping up with the program and any updates- she also helped me realize new interpersonal skills I was developing at my internship. Sophia is super super sweet! A great help when I was having financial aid issues. Lastly, Patricia does an amazing job in running the program alongside her team; Patricia is very transparent and firm about things, but also very caring and passionate about being with students that study abroad and wants to be a resource for us while ensuring that we get the most out of our experience! Absolutely loved the on-site administration, they are all so great and amazing, supportive and most importantly passionate. Their passion is why they run such a great program!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I adored my host mom! So happy with my living arrangement. Her and I became friends extremely fast! We would eat dinner together and have all kinds of conversations, we would watch all kinds of shows together, she would always make sure I had guacamole because she saw how much I loved it. She made the best tortilla de patata and croquetas! I loved my living arrangement; the location was perfect, I had my own space and it was nice to get home to my host mom who would like to hear about my day and how I was doing. Extremely grateful to have been paired with her.

Mediterranean Diet is the best diet I've ever been on. There are some things that might require having a diverse enough palette, some picky eaters might not like the seafood or bunny which is a very common dish. Very clean way of eating yet super delicious and fulfilling! (Lots of delicious wine)

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very integrated with the local culture. When I first got there I did do the touristy things, but then I became a local. I stopped using my gps to get around because I had familiarized myself enough with the metro system, I had my favorite local bars/cafes to go to, certain areas for shopping where tourists don't go, went to many discotecas that were always local and not full of international students. I became such a local that the tourism started to frustrate me

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any health issues, but Middlebury does a good job in explaining the resources we have and we know we can count on them to help us when needed. No prevalent health issues besides COVID and influenza.

Madrid is super super safe! I am from LA so I was very cautious and nervous about being out late past a certain time, I quickly got over this and have done many walks alone to get home between 1-5am. Very very safe! Obviously, still practice caution, but there is no reason to believe that danger is going to come out of nowhere.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• International Students

• Internship
• Relationships made
• Lifestyle

• A little explanation on how their grading system works
• Maybe a few more workshops
• More encouragement to use our cultural money given to us

The Outright Urbanite