976 reviews
4.17 / 5 based on 976 reviews
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miomaes
Languages
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: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
My level after: At ease in most situations
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
At first I had problems understanding the Madrilenans due to the speed at which they spoke, but being all day in that language (classes, roommates, TV, shopping), I started very fast to be able to cath the words and understand whatever they were talking about. At the end of my stay, I could have a totally normal fluid converstaion with spanish people, which hasn't been the case for ohter Eramus students I've met, who were living among foreigners...
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miomaes
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
Government assistance<br>
An ERASMUS grant
Work opportunities:
I didn't want/need to work
Personal spending habits
Food:just not being able to cook limitates the shopping list.
Tel:not having a private phone restricted the calls to really needed ones.
Accomodation:living at home with my parrents, I do not have to pay anything.
Nightlife:at home, I used only to study; but thanks to the Sapnish spirit of life, I started relaxing during night while being on Eramus.
Travel:studying abroad is a unique chance to visit it in all needed details!
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Travel, Housing, Nightlife, Overall:
was more expensive than at home.
Telephone, Food:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
Spain is a cheap country.Do not go to supermarkets to buy food, just go to the "mercados" of each neighbourhood!
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Overall
I wish I had known...
The problems with the Sapnish administrative and educational systems.
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
The UCM is a huge University with a unique international but still very Madrilenan feeling. Culturally speaking it gieves you a wide range of opportunities to understand other people.
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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
Sapin can only be understood if one dares to live there for a while.
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miomaes
Academic
Course recommendations
The educational system and queality of the courses in the Universidad Complutense si quite dissapointing, for what I have seen. The best therefore would be to take classes one is really interested in and try to escape the "Troncales" or "Obligatorias" which tend to be the less interesting ones.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
The teachers and students tend to be focused on the exams, and much of the work is memorising. I would suggest to put in some more reasoning and practical works, in order to interest and give a better fomation to the students.
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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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miomaes
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Nightlife: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Activities, Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
Madrid is already known for its movida, providing every kind of night entertainment one could wish for. Still, my best memories remain in the Lavapies immigrant quarter, where many people gather in the Columbian, Brazilenian and funky bars before swithching perhaps to some performances given in the numerous plazas. The best place to dicover contemporay sapnish music is the "Cafe la Palma" in Calle de la Palma . For a more relaxed atmosphere, the La Latina quarter is the most attractive, with it's cafes and bares de tapas, and magnific location in the Old Town of Madrd.
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Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
The experience I had has been very positive, starting from the fact that you visti lots of places and people to try to find the best place for you. Being in a shared appartment allows you to have enough personal space and tranquility, and help in the case of need, from the people with whom you live.
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Personal comments
I did at frist have an University appartment for Erasmus students, but I chose not to take it when I saw that: the rooms were extrmely small and in bad conditions;no natural light in the appartment;old furniture and its loctaion, quite far from the campus.
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