367 reviews
3.40 / 5 based on 367 reviews
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Brian V
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Personal savings
Other sources of funding:
Family
Work opportunities:
I didn't want/need to work
Personal spending habits
I spent less on food than at home because I had a meal plan that was pre-paid. Also in Spain you can get a soup/salad, dinner/lunch, and dessert for $7 US. (menu del dia!) as far as more $ on telephone, I was making international phone calls, where I didn't have to in the US. I also travled a lot more than I do in the States. The nightlife is more or less the same prices if not a little cheaper (depending on where you go out) in Madrid than in Boston.
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Telephone, Housing, Travel, Overall:
was more expensive than at home.
Nightlife:
was the same price as at home.
Food:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
There were no big suprises. Just set your-self on a weekly budget and stick with it if you don't have a lot of extra cash. We had an excellent exchange rate when we were there, so my money went quite a bit further in Spain than it does in the U.S. if anything I spent a little less than I thought I was going to.
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Brian V
Languages
Language of instruction: Spanish
Was learning Spanish a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
How much did you improve your Spanish?
My level before: Basic phrases
My level after: At ease in most situations
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
I only took one semester of Spanish before going to the Madrid campus. The first few weeks were very difficult, but as I got out and about I had no choice but to learn the language. Also as I took classes I became more comfortable and learned a great deal about the language. If I had taken more classes prior to my stay in Madrid, I probably would have excellent reviews about my comminication experience.
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Brian V
Overall
I wish I had known...
I wish I knew how much I would have liked it, because I would have planned out a way to spend another semester, if not 2 more semesters there.
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
Overall I had a great experience. Their is a lot of support at the University. It is a very big adjustment and they offer a lot of guidence and support throughout your stay. The academics were good, as I mentioned previously I would take as many Spanish related courses as possible and leave your business/or whatever your major area of study is (unless it is Spanish!) to your home campus. I would deffinitley recomend this University. Overall I had an amazing experience.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
Travel as much as possible in Spain, it is a beatiful country with a great history. Travel over night and sleep on the bus/train, and when you wake up you are at your destination in the morning and ready to start your day! Research hostels and read the reviews, (there are several books you can buy that have hostel guides) they are very inexpensive and if you do enough research you can find a hostel that is as nice a hotel and far cheaper.
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Brian V
Academic
Course recommendations
Take as many Spanish classes as possible. You will learn a great deal about the history of Spain, and it will help a great deal adjusting to the language. Save the Business classes to the Boston campus!
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
I would try to promote more interaction between the students on the campus. People lived all over Madrid on off campus apartments and quite frequently the only time you would see other studets was during classes, or if a planned trip was scheduled. As far as the classes themselves, they were excellent and I found the professors to be well prepared and knowledgeable of thier course material. I had one business class that I was dissapointed in, but other than that my overall my experience was excellent.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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Brian V
Student life
Describe host city:
Students equally interact with the local and student community
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Activities, Travel: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Nightlife: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
Our favorite hang-out was an Irish Pub called Moores. There are also many great Night clubs...Palacio, Capital, and Pacha. We went to all of those clubs regularly. We also had a lot of fun going to some of the smaller bars that often played music, there are quite a few, so I would reccomend to just walk around and stop off at the different bars until you find one you like. As far as events...definitely go to a bull fight, it is a great cultural experience. Also check out the museums, and travel as much as you can to other cities, we would take a bus on thursday night, arrive at our destination on friday morning and spend the week-end in a different city.
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Brian V
Housing
Type of housing: off campus dormitory
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
Several groups of people rented apartments through the guidence of the university. The University helped them locate the apartment and with any problems that occured during their stay. The dormitory I lived in was a bit to regulated and had quite a few rules. With the help of the campus and the greater freedom, I would prefer to rent an apartment if I was to do it all over again.
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Personal comments
The location was excellent, and they provided many services. For example they did your laundry once a week, had a full meal plan, and assisted in cleaning our rooms. However the only downside is that they were way to strict, and had too many rules and regulations. That is the case especially if you are coming from the U.S. and you are accustomed to having a lot more freedom in the dormitories.
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