Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I Did It My Way August 03, 2025

By (Political Science, Williams College) - abroad from 08/22/2024 to 12/18/2024 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Madrid

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I largely learned that I could be confident and secure in just my own company, and that I could persevere and make my own experiences. I also gained huge language and cultural knowledge.

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.

Very intense, but very rewarding! My Spanish language and cultural knowledge greatly increased.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host parents were disconnected and prickly, but I mostly got through the experience without incident (except for the last week or so, but alas).

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I worked very hard to get to know Spain, but it was incredibly difficult to make Spanish friends. That's certainly not the fault of the program, but rather speak to tha challenge of making friends through a language and cultural barrier.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

NA

* Safety:

Felt perfectly safe

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

My program was socially challenging, but very rewarding academically and in language-learning, and the latter was my primary objective. I was the top of my class in 3 of my 5 classes, even beating out many local students, and I also greatly improved my Spanish. I also connected with local groups, such as an International Choir. Despite the challenges I found for the first half of my stay, I didn't let it keep my down.

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 lived frugally and didn't eat out often, but Spain was relatively cheap.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 400
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Make sure to do your own cooking when possible, and travel via bus and use hostels!

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

Language requirement

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
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Upper intermediate
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? Just speak to everyone outside always, force yourself into situations you might be too timid to be in otherwise.

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?
  • Language
  • Getting to know Spain
  • Finding little nooks and crannies to explore wherever I went.
* What could be improved?
  • Better host family
  • Less-cliquey study abroad students
  • Strategies to make friends with local students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How challenging it would be socially, and that the host family might not care about their students all that much.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!