Reviews of ICADE | Spain

Useful | 0

anonymous

Sciences Po Paris, Paris, France
Business Studies, Graduate, University Agreement

Overall

I wish I had known...

moreover the specific spanish culture, I could extend my international experience to latinoamerica.

In my opinion:

I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.

Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important

Academic reasons

3

Culture

4

Costs

2

Activities

1

Campus life

1

Party / people

4

Weather / location

4

Personal recommendation

More than an international experience with students who had travelled a lot, it has been more an experience in a foreign country what forced me to adapt me completly to the local culture more than sharing internatinal experiences that were not in that university in the graduate programs.

During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot

Became familiar with another culture

4

Traveled

2

Improved language skills

4

Met people from other countries

4

Became more independent

4

Partied a lot

4

Experienced a change in life

3

Advanced my studies & career

4

Final comments

Foreign people in Spain are not so welcome than we can imagine before going, we are used to thinking about Spain in a holiday ambiance, but people is very different.

Useful | 0

Micael V

Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus

Overall

I wish I had known...

I wish I had known more about internship possibilities in Spain.

In my opinion:

Most people loved it.

Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important

Academic reasons

4

Culture

4

Costs

2

Activities

2

Campus life

1

Party / people

3

Weather / location

3

Personal recommendation

This university offers very good business courses, so take the opportunity to make any module you consider interesting. And do not hesitate to get advise from the teachers, either on academic or professional doubts.

During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot

Became familiar with another culture

4

Traveled

3

Improved language skills

4

Met people from other countries

3

Became more independent

4

Partied a lot

3

Experienced a change in life

3

Advanced my studies & career

4

Final comments

The university was as good as expected, they have very strong links with private firms. It guides students to be ready and aware of what is going to be expected from them in their professional careers.

Useful | 2

Thomas P

Northeastern University, Boston, United States
Financial Management, Undergraduate, University Agreement

Expenses

Main source of funding:

Personal savings

Other sources of funding:

Family

Work opportunities:

I worked during my study abroad experience

Personal spending habits

Using a cell phone is very expensive in Spain because you have to use prepaid cell phones which have pretty expensive rates. Nightlife got a plus for me just because spaniards go out at night A LOT. Drink prices in Madrid are about the same as an american city and there are cheap bars to be found just like anywhere else as well. Travel is more expensive due to the fact that the dollar is weak against the euro right now so most travel is about the same price as america but only in euros which are worth 1.3 dollars at the moment. Apartments here are much less expensive than in Boston (where I came from) which is a big help when trying to budget money.

Nightlife, Travel, Telephone:

was more expensive than at home.

Overall, Food:

was the same price as at home.

Housing:

was less expensive than at home.

Accessibility of student needs

Second-hand text books

Second-hand household items

Computers / Internet

Administrative

Money from home

Personal comments

Eating out gets expensive, try and cook more often than not. Don't blow all your money when you first get here because your so excited to arrive. There is a hopping nightlife every night in Madrid and it is very tempting to go out every night when you first get here. My advice would be to remember that nights at the bars come and go with not much intrinsic value. I'd rather have some of the money I blew at the bars these days for traveling.

Useful | 1

Birgit S

Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Vienna, Austria
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus

Overall

I wish I had known...

no

In my opinion:

Everybody loved it, you will too!

Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important

Academic reasons

3

Culture

3

Costs

2

Activities

4

Campus life

1

Party / people

3

Weather / location

2

Personal recommendation

Don't chose too many morning classes - that's not really compatible with the Spanish nightlife :-)

During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot

Became familiar with another culture

3

Traveled

3

Improved language skills

4

Met people from other countries

4

Became more independent

3

Partied a lot

4

Experienced a change in life

3

Advanced my studies & career

2

Final comments

According to my experience, there still remained so many things to do but there was no time left at the end. and: visit Valencia, you will like it!

Useful | 0

KeithLee

Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
Business Studies, Undergraduate, University Agreement

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

Social

Educational

Administrative / Institutional

Overall

Personal comments

When I first arrived in Madrid I had an everyday knowledge of the language and although I encountered some problems the majority of time it was fine. But for the first few months of university I was lost, along with my colleagues. Because we are considered normal students of the university, we are in classes with spanish students (some of which had spent the first two years of the programme in Dublin, while others had spent the first two years in the UK, France or Germany, along with students from these countries). Then after the first semester we had to do an internship and I found that quite difficult too regarding the language aspect. But this year, the final year of the programme, I've had little or no problems at all with language at the university. We even had to write our thesis here in spanish and I remember back to first year thinking "oh my god that'll be impossible" and well in the end it has been a challenge but surpassable. I handed mine in to the office today, completed and bound. Yes!

Useful | 0

Saskia M

Fachhochschule Reutlingen, Reutlingen, Germany
Management Science, Undergraduate, University Agreement

Overall

I wish I had known...

That studies abroad can be very demanding, especially when you study at a Catholic private university in Spain, but the reward is a degree of one of the best universities in the world.

In my opinion:

Most people loved it.

Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important

Academic reasons

4

Culture

4

Costs

2

Activities

3