One Language Two Culture: Exploring the Unknown Past Review
By jagome01@syr.edu 2 (Finance, Syracuse University) for
Syracuse University: Madrid - Syracuse University in Madrid
definitely yes, my major reasons to study abroad were to improve my Spanish, learn more about my Spanish roots, reconnect with myself, improve my GPA, and i know i accomplished it all
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Workload was doable, Grading system fair, teaching methods for certain class was not the best one. The education system was not so different because many of my professors had study or taught in the US. However, there was two beginner professor that need more experience at teaching. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
SU Madrid was really organized and the staff did a phenomenal job keeping everything under control. They were really helpful when we needed anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was really luck to end up with such a great single host mother. I felt welcomed from the first day until the last. The neighborhood was really safe, school was only 20 minutes in public transportation, and night life was something i enjoyed the most. |
| * Food: |
My host mother is the best chef ever, everything was really healthy and nothing was precook or from the previous day. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really enjoyed going out to dance and meet Spanish student. The program organized weekend trips and they defensibly make my time here better and fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I did not have any problem in particular but i know many students had pickpocket incidents |
| 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? |
The way i improve my Spanish was by having long conversation with my host more every time after dinner. Also by attending class and asking professor for extra work. Lastly, I tried not to speak Spanglish, only one language per conversation. |
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? | when studying abroad the first thing a person has to be is open minded, explore the unknown and enjoy your experience during good and bad time. Madrid is a big city and has a lot to offer. Do not wait until the last day here to get to the city because you might want to revisit those place and not have the time then. |
