Program Reviews

I was in Buenos Aires from 2006-07. I studied at the Universidad del Salvador. I think what Middlebury offers compared to other study aboard programs is a more authentic, language and culture focused experience. This is very rare in study aboard programs. My host family was middle rather than upper class. The house was nice and in a good, fairly central neighborhood but modest. It was really the best of both worlds. The best part of my experience was the opportunity to do an internship while I was in Buenos Aires. This was a great way for me to experience another side of the city.

First, above and beyond, you will reap what you sow in any study abroad experience. If you work hard, make an effort to find local friends and make some of your own opportunities, this program is incredible. If you choose to stay with American friends, don't take the language study seriously, etc., you will have an interesting experience abroad.

I stayed for one year and the program was extremely challenging for me (I was probably not prepared sufficiently, in all honesty). The first semester was nothing but homework. Then all the other students except two left. The three of us looked at each other: we still had nine months there.

The second semester is where everything came together. I stopped hating China and fell in love with aspects of it. I made wonderful local friends. I felt at home. I still remember the moment, riding my bike back towards school from Wulin square.

In the end I spent about 6.5 years working in China. I was one of the first Chinese/English interpreters hired by Goldman Sachs (the other is also a Hangzhou grad) and I've translated for the State Department as well. My whole life pivoted in this city and, nearly ten years later, I still go back when possible and remember some things. Work hard, don't worry about the other American students too much and you will benefit greatly from the team in Hangzhou.

I loved this program. In my year there were very few students, and we became as close as a family. Participation in the program was a lot of work, but completely worth it -- my language skills increased astronomically. We got to go on trips together, one longer one organized by the program, and others on our own. We explored the city on our own, and even when we were too lazy to think of something to do the program staff often had suggestions, or organized group outings within the city. This isn't a program that will leave you in a safe foreigner bubble, the emphasis on language learning encouraged us to go beyond our comfort zone, and we generally stayed away from the expat community.

I attended the program in Spring 2010 after already living in Kunming for six months. I had been stuck in an English-Chinese world that wasn't allowing my Chinese to progress any further. For me, the Middlebury language pledge was essential for improving my Chinese. I surrounded myself with locals and spent my free (non-study) time dancing and teaching dance in Green Lake Park. The immersion experience helped me to build a community of Han and minority friends in Kunming and I still go back to visit them occasionally.

This six-week immersive experience was incredibly hard and rewarding. I was able to skip an entire year of college level Chinese through the six weeks. Because it's such a short time, don't expect to have too much time off. However, the teachers were wonderful guides for Hangzhou, and you're able to tour around Hangzhou or go visit Suzhou/Shanghai on the weekends. I especially loved Guo Laoshi's day excursion to the tea plantations and bamboo forests outside of Hangzhou. The city really does live up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in China, and there was a CET-organized weekend trip to 1000 island lake, which was great. You'll spend a lot of time with your classmates and will often go out together to explore the city. The Chinese roommate experience was quite good as well, and depending on the roommate, you might be able to bond very well with him/her. Overall, I highly recommend it if you're looking to accelerate your language studies.

Middlebury's Language Pledge combined with studying at a Spanish University is optimal if your goal is to live, learn and connect in Spanish. You take a pledge to only speak Spanish during the duration of your study abroad experience. You take three classes at UC3M (the abbreviated name for Carlos III), and one intensive language course at "la sede" (Sede Prim - the Middlebury school in Madrid). I lived near Atocha station, the largest train station in Madrid that connects you to all lines of the Cercanias, the AVE, and a number of metro stops. My apartment was a 30-minute walk to the Middlebury School and a 5- to 10-minute walk to the train station that would take me to Getafe 3-4 days a week.
I loved getting to know Spanish students in my classes. I took one first year course on 20th century history of Spain and two third year courses in sociology. The students in the first-year course were younger than me (18-19), and the age difference made it a bit difficult to connect, but many of them expressed to me that it was exciting to meet an American who could speak Spanish. I really connected with the students in my third year sociology courses. Many of them took both courses with me - one on family and gender in Spain and the other on society and the environment. We often did group projects together, and they really helped me improve my Spanish - from talking in person to chatting via What'sApp or speaking on the phone. We spent time together outside of class around the small town of Getafe and got together every so often in Madrid.
The only downfall of this program was the commute. I didn't really enjoy having to split my time between Madrid and Getafe. Taking the train was a good way to get some reading in or finish up an assignment on the way to class, and there is a train that takes you to Getafe directly outside of the Middlebury School (extremely convenient!). I just had to get used to the train schedule. Having a 3- to 4-hour break between two classes on Tuesday or Thursday meant that I stayed on the campus and did homework (great for getting homework done), but sometimes I felt confined. There is a great gym on the UC3M campus, and many students paid for a membership so that they could work-out during a break before, after or between classes. I had one closer to my apartment that was cheaper though.
I liked the fact that we had to take a language course at the Middlebury School. It is in the Chueca neighborhood, near many quaint cafés and great restaurants. It's just north of the center of the city, la Puerta del Sol, which is a great place for tourism. The language course helped me maintain my connection with the Middlebury headquarters, the other students at the Middlebury program, and all the resources and help offered by the amazing staff there. Patricia (the director) was extremely helpful in helping me select my coursework. Lena helped me with all things related to technology and my visa paperwork. Teruca (Teresa) was awesome with helping me navigate interesting social dynamics and helping me secure an internship for the spring. Marta was amazing in connecting me with all the different cultural activities and travel opportunities in the area (and really helped me improve my Spanish). Laura helped with housing and setting up the different Middlebury events for the program.
I lived with four Spaniards - a guy from Valencia, a girl from the Basque Country, a guy from Italy (who spoke Spanish fluently and was doing his master's in Sports Journalism at UC3M), and a guy from Galicia. We called ourselves "la familia de la Charidad", a play on words (caridad = charity, and our landlady's name was Charo). The name speaks to the kindness and warmth that our landlady showed towards us, and the affection we had for the group living there. I was extremely lucky to live with these people. Laura had this apartment on her list from previous years. After seeing the apartment and meeting the tenants, 4 of us drew straws to see who got to live there, and I won. I highly encourage other students not to settle for an apartment without Spanish housemates. Ideally, if you want to learn Spanish, you will be living with people who only speak Spanish. My housemates were all older than me (26-32), and it was the perfect age range. We all really got along. It was vital for my connection to Spanish culture. I learned how to cook Spanish food and would cook meals and invite friends over often.
My favorite resource through the Middlebury HQ was the language exchange (intercambio) program. I met up with a guy from Getafe once a week (we usually alternated between meeting in Getafe and Madrid), a girl who lived right down the street from me, and a girl from Majadahonda, a suburb of Madrid. I became really close with all three of them and still Skype with them every month or two.
Having class with Spanish students at a Spanish university, participating in the language exchange program, and living with Spaniards were the most important factors that contributed to my linguistic growth in the Spanish language, but more than that, those were the lasting connections that made my experience unforgettable (and really hard to say goodbye).

With the School in Italy, I had the freedom to make my experience abroad exactly what I was looking for. My classes at the Sede were unforgettable, and I got to see what life is actually like for Italian students by taking half of my courses at the Universita' di Firenze. I specifically chose this program in order to improve my language skills, and now, years later, I can say that spending a year abroad on the Middlebury program was the key to gaining fluency.

I lived outside the historic center of Florence, away from the tourists and English-speakers, and lived with an amazing family who treated me like a daughter. Through them, I made friends with other Italians of all ages and was able to practice my Italian 24/7 in an authentic, supportive context.

Part of the reason my language skills improved so much was my decision to spend the entire year abroad. A semester is just not enough time to explore the city and the rest of Italy. By the end of the first semester, I knew my way around and had a group of friends and an idea of how the university system worked, which made the second semester easier and more fun.