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Studies > Spain > Madrid > ICADE > Review by biggls
Other names:
Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales
Contact: + 34 91 542 28 00

ICADE

Universidad Pontificia Comillas de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, C/ Alberto Aguilera, 23, Madrid, Spain, 28015 Madrid
4.08 / 5 based on 300 reviews.
Description:
During the 2006-07 academic year[1], it had 1805 undergraduate students, 147 graduate students, and its 264 academics attracted research funds for a total of €3,7 millions. 63% of the graduating students had done paid industrial placements. ICAI sent 150 students abroad for international exchanges and hosted 92 international students. It has exchange agreements with 49 European universities and 41 US and Asian universities.


Reviews
International Partners
Programmes
Accreditations
85% of students recommend
300 reviews
Housing
3.9/5
 All experiences (300)
Student life
4.4/5
 5 stars (126)
Academic
3.9/5
 4 stars (120)
Languages
4.4/5
 3 stars (54)
Expenses
3.7/5
 2 stars (0)
Overall
4.5/5
 1 star (0)
“Enjoy Madrid. If you don't, there's a problem somewhere.” Read Review
biggls, Ireland

ICADE review by biggls

Review by biggls, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
Business Studies, University Agreement
HOUSING    
Personal assessment
Cost
KEY:
Couldn't have asked for more.
Pretty good.
Could've been better, but didn't lessen the overall experience.
Disappointing.
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - I had no other choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why? Independence, to live with native speakers.
Personal comments:
It's not cheap to live near ICADE, but the area is excellent, well served by transport and all the facilities you can possibly think of are nearby. It's a great central location in Madrid.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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STUDENT LIFE    
Personal social experience
Activities
KEY:
Amazing! Hardly had time to study.
Plenty to do when I had the time.
So-so.
Did not get involved.
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Describe host city: Students equally interact with the local and student community
Nightlife, Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Activities: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal comments:
Semana Santa (Easter Week) Café Roldán, Café El Greco, ICADE Cafeteria is great as well!
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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ACADEMIC       3.0 / 5
My academic experiences
Quality of courses
KEY:
Fantastic.
Pretty good.
Could've been a bit better.
Disappointing.
Variety of courses
Availability/access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with other international students
Interaction with local students
Course recommendations:
As a result of my degree I had very little choice with regard to my courses, so I don't know what's available to Erasmus students.



My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
KEY:
Liked it.
It was alright.
A bit annoying.
Didn't like it.
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course.
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
Personal comments:
Some of the teachers are useless, and the evaluation methods used are somewhat unprofessional, relying to a large extent on attendance at class and whether or nor the teacher likes you on a personal level. At the same time I did have some excellent teachers during my two years in ICADE.

This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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Language difficulties
Social
KEY:
No problems.
I coped pretty well.
Sometimes it was difficult.
It was a constant struggle.
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Language of instruction: Spanish
Was learning Spanish a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my Spanish
How much did you improve your Spanish?
My level before: No problems in any areas (including slang)
My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Personal comments:
I had a decent level of Spanish when I arrived in Madrid, and was determined to speak as little English as possible throughout my time here. As a result I had few problems, but I don't recommend ICADE (my programme in particular) for those with a low level, as it's not easy and few exceptions are made. The Erasmus students are treated rather more favourably, with less hours of class, including some with English as the language of instruction.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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EXPENSES    
The accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
KEY:
Very easy.
Minimal effort.
Accessible but required effort.
Almost impossible.
Second-hand household items
Computers / Internet
Administrative
Money from home
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
Personal savings
Government assistance
An ERASMUS grant
Work opportunities:
I worked during my study abroad experience
Personal spending habits:
It's easy to get caught up in the social buzz in Madrid - whilst going out, food and transport are all somewhat cheaper than in Dublin, my social activity increased greatly, leading to me spending more....
Nightlife, Overall, Housing: was more expensive than at home.
Telephone: was the same price as at home.
Food, Travel: was less expensive than at home.
Personal comments:
Avoid nightclubs, drink in the small bars and cafes, control yourself a little, as Madrid can be a shopper's paradise.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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OVERALL    
Important to choosing this university...
Academic reasons
KEY:
Very Important.
Important.
Not really important.
Unimportant.
Culture
Costs
Activities
Campus life
Party / people
Weather / Location
I wish I had known...
Cost of accomodation was a bit of a shock
In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!



During my experience abroad, I ...
Became familiar with another culture
KEY:
Happened all the time.
Happened quite a lot.
Happened a bit.
Didn't happen.
Traveled
Improved language skills
Met people from other countries
Became more independent
Partied a lot
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies/career
Personal recommendation:
Come to ICADE, be prepared to immerse yourself in a different culture, ADAPT.



FINAL COMMENTS

Enjoy Madrid. If you don't, there's a problem somewhere.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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