Spain: Open and inviting Past Review
By Erika M (Music Education (Voice), Towson University) for
Towson University: Madrid - Spanish Language and Culture
My Spanish was drastically improved and I learned a lot about how other cultures differ from American culture.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I thought the education experience was great. It was different from Towson classes, but I thought it was better. Rather than following a strict curriculum, where we would learn many things I already knew, they listened to our mistakes and taught us how to correct them. The learning was much more practical and beneficial. I also loved the small classes and amount of time we each got to talk and work on our speech. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My only frustration with the host country program was their awful tour guides. The tour guides were provided by the school, were not certified and were not very good. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My neighborhood was close to all of the museums, parque retiro, and nightlife. It was also within walking distance of the school. My host family treated me as if I were part of the family and expected me to live there as if it were my home. |
| * Food: |
They feed you a lot, be okay with refusing more food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The field trips to Toledo and Segovia were great. I also loved El Museo de la Reina Sofia. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Madrid is really safe. There are people out at most hours and there is much less crime than in the Baltimore Washington area. |
| 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? | I spent around $600 for the whole trip including a trip for two days to Valencia. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Almost everyone goes away on the free weekend, so plan around three to four hundred dollars for that. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 312 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I spoke in Spanish almost 100% of the time. I went to Spain to improve my Spanish and therefore spoke almost solely spanish. Spanish was used in my classes, with my host family, with my roommate and in most of my interactions. My only frustration was that many of the other American students refused to speak in Spanish with me. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | A Spanish speaker who wants to improve their Spanish and learn more about the culture would most benefit from this program. |
