Incredible Semester in Madrid! I hope to return soon... August 07, 2025
By A student (Spanish, Carleton College) - abroad from 08/22/2024 to 12/17/2025 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Madrid
My Spanish language skills improved exponentially by choosing an immersion program and being able to use the language every day. I loved living with Spanish students my age. Travel from Madrid was super easy and I visited to many other beautiful regions within the country. I plan to return to Spain for my gap year!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed my classes and learned so much! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved living in a shared apartment with 5 other Spanish students! |
| * Food: |
Spain can be challenging at times if you don't eat a lot of meat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I found little difficulty adjusting to Spanish food, taking the metro, walking in El Retiro park, and living in Madrid. Living with Spanish students my age was a great way to meet new people and try activities with them. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
During orientation Middlebury made sure that we knew the healthcare numbers and locations if we needed it. I visited the doctor and it was super easy to schedule and get reimbursement for the pharmacy item I had to pick up. Their mental health and psychiatric resources are also extremely accessible with very little wait time for appointments. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Madrid, even taking the metro and walking around at late hours in the night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved spending the fall in Madrid! I enjoyed making new friends from Middlebury and other universities, I looked forward to my classes each week, and appreciated the support the staff provided for ensuring our engagement with Spanish culture. |
Finances
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* 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Very rough estimate $300-400 depending on if I stayed in Madrid or if I traveled. Food is less expensive in Madrid than in the U.S. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you are planning on taking weekend trips, try to book flights and accommodations in advance! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Middlebury has the language pledge to encourage total communication in Spanish |
| 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? | College |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Madrid is a great place to be if you really want to improve your spanish. Because there is more international influence in Barcelona and they speak Catalan, I am very glad I chose to be in Madrid. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
España en Perspectiva |
| Course Department: | Spanish |
| Instructor: | Ángela Pérez del Puerto |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This was an AMAZING history class! Angela is such an engaging story teller and phenomenal at interacting with the class. I naturally memorized the material because she delivered a memorable narrative. Her activities around Madrid complimented the course very well and I loved seeing the landmarks around the city that were mentioned in class. |
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| Course Name/Rating: |
Arte en el Prado |
| Course Department: | Spanish |
| Instructor: | Ruth Gallego |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | I enjoyed learning about European art and visiting the Prado every week. Ruth was very knowledgeable about the pieces. The class work was very heavy at the end of the term; we had a presentation, personal reflection, and final project due the last week. It felt rushed to complete everything. Overall I did really enjoy practicing presenting in Spanish and looking at art. |
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