Study Abroad in Spain Broadened My Perception of Europe and Its Business Environment Past Review

By (Economics., Tufts University) for

Syracuse University: Madrid - Syracuse University in Madrid

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The experience gave me a taste of the people and lifestyle in Spain. Due to its conservative culture, I appreciate the freedoms we have in the U.S. even more.

Review Photos

Syracuse University: Madrid - Syracuse University in Madrid Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was manageable and was up to each individual student how much s/he wanted to take on. I got out of it what I put in, which was a serious, concerted effort to learn the course material. This helped broaden my view of topics such as religion, economics, politics, and language to give me a unique perspective that was not available at my home college. For this, I highly recommend the courses. However, a word of caution is that many of the Syracuse students did not take the courses seriously and were more concerned with non-academic socializing. While this is good, I observed that many students took this socializing to an extreme. Overall, the courses were highly informative and broadened my world view on a number of subjects.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administrative staff was responsible and responded to inquiries in a timely and friendly manner.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family provided only limited food and the host mother was easily agitated. However, each student had a different experience with host families, many of whom had more positive experiences.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The Syracuse abroad program was excellent in arranging trips around the country. One memorable trip was to Valle de los Caidos, which was a large tomb at the summit of a mountain that was dedicated to former leader Francisco Franco.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Like anywhere, be alert and aware at all times, especially when going out at night. Pickpockets are very common. I did not experience any health-related issues.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Make sure you carry adequate local currency, traveler's checks, and credit/debit cards that can be used in Spain.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Spanish III
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

I practiced daily with my host family every night at dinner and often with my Spanish-speaking apartment-mates. There was ample opportunity to practice by going through daily activities, seeking out intercambios, and practicing during Spanish language class.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

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  • Host Family
  • International Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans