Full immersion in Spain Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The method of teaching language at this school was very different what I had learned through the American system, and I must say I preferred it to my own university. Firstly, there are small class sizes so that constant participation is required. Also, with the small class sizes, class moved more rapidly and we were able to cover much more new material.

On-site administration of your program

Lesley was our Spanish mother and made us feel at home in Madrid. She took care of all my needs both academic and domestic and now I really miss her!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host mom was wonderful and the location was great (walking distance to Tandem if you're motivated enough). The food was great, my room was cozy and I occasionally had international students living in the apartment with me which was fun. The nightbus (buho'), #9, I think, was a convenient way to get back home if I stayed out after the metro closed. I always felt safe walking around my neighborhood, day and night.

Elena is a great cook and I am lactose intolerant so she was very accommodating and we ate delicious dairy-free meals. Needless to say I gained weight. As for eating on, on a student's budget I recommend the tapas bar El Tigre and this nameless Chinese food place in a parking garage under Plaza de Espana.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Our group got along great and I really enjoyed making friends with the international students that also attended Tandem. Tandem regularly schedules cultural events, and we attended nearly all of them in the beginning but then stopped as the events tend to repeat every 3 weeks or so. Tandem also planned a special trip to Granada which was a lot of fun, but having traveling around Spain a bit, I would maybe recommend Sevilla as a weekend destination rather than Granada because Sevilla is a city not to be missed.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Madrid is the safest place I have ever lived in my life. And I live in the suburbs. As long as you are self-aware you can avoid pickpocketing, and apart from the occasional sneaky thief, I never heard about any other crimes. Fortunately I had no health issues while abroad so I can't really speak to that.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Tandem required that we have an intercambio (a language exchange with a native speaker) and I thought that this was very helpful.

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Host Family