Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Transformative Semester!!! September 19, 2023

By (Spanish and Iberian Studies, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/01/2023 to 05/25/2023 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Madrid

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Gained even more cultural experiences, new way of life as well

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.

As a native Spanish speaker the rigor was on par with a full immersion course while also being provided resources to enjoy the program!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Fantastic Administration and people

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Lived in a residency - wasn't best option and a bit expensive however was close to SEDE so was best option I could find

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Had to go to the doctor once and was a great system/ fast as well with insurance

* Safety:

Felt 100% safe walking around and sometimes by myself

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

After spending time in Madrid, not only would I want to return, however would love to spend time there in the future living and working in Spain. I loved the city, culture, people etc

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? 200 Euros a week

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? 400 level courses at Middlebury
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Freedom to travel
  • Immersion to language
* What could be improved?
  • Rework orientation schedule
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? n/a

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Blogging in España
Course Department:
Instructor: Armando Figueroa
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It was hard to constantly write in Spanish however was very useful to dive into the culture of spain and learn more about present day issues
Credit Transfer Issues: I dont believe I had issues
Course Name/Rating:

Negocios

Course Department:
Instructor: Mercedes
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: The vocabulary aspect of the course was a bit challenging to learn a new way of businesses in Spanish, however very helpful!
Credit Transfer Issues: I dont believe I had an issue with credit transfer!
Course Name/Rating:

EU
Course Department:
Instructor: francisco Seijo
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: The course was a great deep dive into the EU from a European perspective. I have only learned of this region from a US perspective however this gave me a new perspective.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issue transferring the credit. Was able to be added as a Political Science elective
Course Name/Rating:

nación y narración
Course Department:
Instructor: Patricia Rodríguez
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This was my favorite course at SEDE, yet most challenging. Patricia was a great professor, always well prepared for class and led us through amazing discussions of books or films we were covering. I left the class knowing so much about the Nation and the history of Spain. I recommend to any student
Credit Transfer Issues: