A Summer in Madrid is a Summer You'll Never Forget Past Review
By Edward S (Political Science and Government., Rollins College) for
Rollins College: Madrid - Verano Espanol
It was beyond worthwhile. I learned so much Spanish and about their culture that I feel like it really did change me. I feel more confident to do things independently and to really try to put myself out their to gain experiences that I would otherwise not have.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
After my six weeks in Spain I was able to hold entire conversations in Spanish and the program has encouraged me to continue my studies in Spanish and improving my speaking abilities. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Don Quijote was an excellent Spanish school where we were in small classes and focused entirely on Spanish. My only critique would be more group based conversations, however we did do plenty of speaking in class. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment in Madrid was very centrally located and my host mother was very friendly and patient with me and my speaking skills. She helped my Spanish by conversing with me during our meal times together which helped quite a lot. |
| * Food: |
Mara, my host mother, was a trained cook so all the food was excellent! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All cultural experiences exceeded my expectations for the trip. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt just as safe in Madrid as I do here in the United States, and if I had needed health care I am confident that I would have received it promptly in the hospitals. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | Overall I spent about $1000 while in Spain. This covered lunches, going out at night, souvenirs, and other site-seeing opportunities. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be aware of the exchange rates in the country you are traveling to. Also be aware that many (common) products in foreign countries can and will be more expensive than in the U.S. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate Spanish Grammar |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
see comment above |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be open minded and remember that certain cultural aspects will be different than home. Try to push yourself to go beyond your comfort zone and that will be when you really have the experience you were looking for. |
