A great program but good to know the ins and outs before you go! Past Review

By Leah M (Barnard College) - abroad from 01/08/2012 to 05/12/2012 with

New York University: Madrid - NYU in Madrid

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I gained a fluency in the Spanish language, a more sophisticated global perspective, a knowledge of important historical landmarks in Europe, and an appreciation for Spanish culture.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Some classes were amazing, and some were extremely poor. If you study with NYU Madrid, I would ask for recommendations before picking your courses.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Caridad and Megan (student services people) are very accommodating and are always there for you. My only complaints are that they should have had more icebreakers at the orientation and a better study space on the campus.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	You can either stay in an apartment or homestay. The apartments are great. Most people hated their homestay and it is IMPOSSIBLE to switch. The homestays have very strict rules. For example, one of my friends was not allowed to leave her bedroom: she couldn't study in the kitchen or living room. Although this example is extreme, most people had negative things to say about their homestay and felt like more of a guest. The señoras are not very warm and friendly.
* Food:	N/a.. there was no meal plan on NYU Madrid.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	You can make a doctors appointment whenever you want, the student life director will do it for you, and it is always covered by HTH insurance.
* Safety:	Location is in the safest of areas.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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 was also gluten and dairy free and couldn't eat cheap food because it wasn't gluten free.. so I could be an outlier.
* Was housing included in your program cost?	Yes
* Was food included in your program cost?	No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	$325
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Eat lunch at Faborit!

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?	Intermediate
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?	Intermediate II
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Talk to spanish people at bars/clubs.. get an intercambio

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* 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?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The trips they took us on were great and the professors accompanied us and taught us about the places we went to. The campus was very nice and clean and the student life coordinators were excellent. My apartment was phenomenal.
* What could be improved?	The orientation should have been better, there should be more icebreakers. They should be more flexible with letting you take the classes you want and not have so many rules. I wished the students all lived closer together.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish i would have known more about the classes before i picked them. I wish I would have known to take certain healthcare products with me like my favorite tampons, pepto bismol, and tylenol.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Spain at the Crossroads of Europe, Africa and North America
Course Department:
Instructor:	Eugenio Suarez Galban
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Awful class! The professor is one of those people who is clearly intelligent but is a horrible teacher. The whole class was so disorganized. I never knew what we were talking about and I didn't understand how any of the topics we learned in the class related to one another. This class is a huge waste of time, I barely learned anything new!
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Garcia Lorca Theatre and Poetry
Course Department:
Instructor:	Ana Dotras
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I would not recommend this class. The administration doesn't let her take any field trips. The professor is very kind and really cares about the students but we talked about the concepts in the plays like love and death and our own opinions about them, but we never talked about the plays themselves. I feel like I barely learned anything. This is a very easy class with minimal work and some people thought the conversations we had were very interesting, although they were rarely about Garcia Lorca's works!
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Debating Current Issues in Spain
Course Department:
Instructor:	Carmen Carballo
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	This course is wonderful! Best course I took at NYU Madrid. Your conversational fluency really improves, and you learn a ton about current events in Spain and it really widens your perspective as an international students. There are three oral presentations that are challenging and annoying to prepare for, but they are worth it. Carmen is one of the best professors I've ever had in my life, she is a dream professor! She really pushes you and you will improve so much!
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Masterpieces in the Prado Museum
Course Department:
Instructor:	Carmen Ana Sierra
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	Wonderful course with a wonderful and charming professor. There is rarely any reading outside of class, all you do is show up and take quizzes. You get to go to the prado once a week which is a very unique and exciting experience. The professor is very intelligent and passionate about art, and you will learn a lot and feel more cultured. The professor is so charming and everyone loves her. It is the perfect workload for a study abroad class: three quizzes and a final paper with barely any reading.
Credit Transfer Issues: