976 reviews
4.17 / 5 based on 976 reviews
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sdownie99
Student life
Describe host city:
Students equally interact with the local and student community
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Nightlife, Activities, Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
My favorite cafe that I've been to in Madrid is Pepe Botella in Plaza Dos de Mayo. That's in the neighborhood Malasaña, which along with Chueca are the best areas of Madrid for me.
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sdownie99
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - I had no other choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
I like the independence of living in an apartment as opposed to with a family. Also, you can live with other students and be right in the center of the city.
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sdownie99
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Not specified
Other sources of funding:
none
Work opportunities:
Personal spending habits
Cost of living is a bit less here than at home. In housing it's a lot less, but also worse quality. I spent more on travel because I traveled a lot more than usual. The telephone system is bad here and I find cell phones and land lines to be very expensive.
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Travel, Telephone:
was more expensive than at home.
Housing, Overall, Nightlife, Food:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
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sdownie99
Academic
Course recommendations
It's a good idea to visit classes if you can before you decide what to take. The most important aspect is the professor. There are great teachers if you look for them but there are also some that aren't so good or enthusiastic and are not very helpful to international students who may struggle a bit with the language.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
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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sdownie99
Overall
I wish I had known...
Not really. I figured things out when I got here.
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In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
I didn't spend that much time at the university expect when in classes. The majority of my experience here has taken place outside of the university and that's what I wanted. If someone is looking for more of a campus experience, where you're more integrated into the university, this might not be the best place.
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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
Madrid is a great city because you can travel to a lot of Spain from here. The best is to take buses- trains are more expensive and not much better. It's a really fun city, with tons of nightlife and cultural activities if that interests you. You have to explore it yourself, because it's a big city, which could be overwhelming for some people.
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sdownie99
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: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
I've been here now for a year and a half so by now I'm very comfortable with the host language. The first year here was definitely more of a struggle with the language, especially more colloquial ways of speaking. I came in with a good knowledge of spanish on paper but with a lot of trouble speaking and understanding. It is always interesting to learn more so although frustrating, it is also rewarding improving my Spanish.
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English
Español
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