New love for Spain and a taste of Europe June 11, 2024
By Mariko G (Applied Mathematics, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/15/2024 to 05/25/2024 with
IES Abroad: Madrid - Engineering, Math & Science
I learned a lot about independence having to commute to school and cook for myself almost every night as well as confidence in myself and my language abilities that I would not have gained otherwise.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were not especially difficult or rigorous by any means. Despite this, I enjoyed them and still feel like I learned a good amount. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was so welcoming, fun, and easy to talk to. A great group of people! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The student co-living building was nice, and IES provided with our own fridges, cleaning service, and basic cooking equipment. My room had a very strange layout, as I shared a bathroom with another person. I was originally placed in the wrong room due to an error with the housing system, but once it was sorted out through IES, the housing staff was kind and helpful in my move. |
| * Food: |
I did not have a meal plan. The building I lived in had a communal kitchen with 6 cooking stations for the whole building, which would get quite crowded at peak times. It was clean and functional, except for one broken burner. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was hoping to be more immersed in the local culture than I was; as the program had no language requirement, most of it was conducted in English. However, just by being in Madrid and going outside and to class, you get the experience of living there and participate in the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no experiences with healthcare while abroad |
| * Safety: |
Pickpocketing is a real issue in Madrid and something you always have to stay vigilant about. My phone was stolen early on in the program, and I have heard many more stories about people who were also pickpocketed or came very close. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
In the end, it was a great program and it allowed me to get credit for my math major and my Spanish minor that would have been a lot more difficult if I had not opted for the engineering program. I met some really great people both on the program and amongst the staff and made memories I will treasure forever. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Goods and services are very cheap in Spain as compared to those in the US. Travel was the source of most of my spending, especially because I was often cooking for myself and not going out for meals. Transpiration in Europe and especially Madrid was very easy and cheap. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a budget! Or at least a spending sheet to track how much you are spending so you can |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I would have liked to speak more Spanish within the program itself, but instead I enrolled in classes from the Language and Area Studies (LAS) program that IES runs and was able to take classes fully in Spanish. Everyone takes a Spanish language class with IES that you are placed into based on your results from a placement test taken leading up to the start of the program. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Go out and talk to people! Shopkeepers, cashiers, waiters, etc. and practice your Spanish! Spaniards are very willing to let you speak at whatever level of Spanish you are at without always switching to English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Moving to another country for a whole semester is scary and feels like a long time, but time really flies by; 4 months is not all that much time! My advice is to enjoy it and let yourself really live there and immerse yourself in the city and the culture, because this opportunity does not come often! |
