Spain: Cultural Differences Past Review
By Ross Y (Finance and Economics, Syracuse University) for
Syracuse University: Madrid - Syracuse University in Madrid
Definitely worth going abroad. There is so much to learn from people that live in different countries and have different customs that you. Europe is a great place to go because travel is easy and usually pretty cheap.
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. |
Not too much work, but when there is work it all comes at once. All classes have the tests on the same week and there is almost no work to do in between tests. Need to space out work more. Learning at the end of the semester felt crammed in and did not have too much information because of the timing of the tests. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Program was a good size, about 150 students. Offered enough courses to be able to go abroad and not fall behind in requirements in the US. Offered a lot of day trips and different activities, some of them with Spanish students so you can practice your Spanish and they can practice their English. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Did not need to buy any items. Had dinners and breakfasts given to us. Family was okay with us going out to eat at a restaurant as long as we told her the day before. All host families were 20 minutes away from the school, either by walking or by metro. |
| * Food: |
Very accommodating with any allergies or things that you don't like. There was always enough food, and it was always good. El Tigre is a bar near the Chueca metro stop that gives free tapas when you order a drink (drinks are big). 4Tapas, Lateral are both good tapas places. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There is at least one cultural event every week. The events range from day trips to nearby cities, to cooking classes, to going to a bull fight. Most of the activities are pretty cheap or free. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Be aware of pickpockets, keep your wallet in your front pocket and be aware of it. As long as you are aware and don't walk around late at night by yourself the city is very safe. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Speaking with your host family and trying to use it in everyday life. Best way to learn is to use what you know. Talking with friends in Spanish was helpful too because you could ask them how to say something in English if you didn't know what it was in Spanish |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | People that would benefit most from this program are ones that know some Spanish but want to improve it or become fluent. |
