¡Que bote la Cibeles! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes at Universidad Carlos III were rigorous and challenging. It was difficult to adjust to them at first, since the Spanish academic system is very different from the one used in the United States; a lot of weight is given to the final exam and there are few (if any) graded assignments throughout year. some classes had midterms, while others did not. Some classes had weekly homework (though it was not grades), while others just gave us problem packets to work on our own time to prepare for tests. The difficulty of the exams was always high, and the grading system was also different than the one used here. Tests sometimes had a multiple choice section in which you actually lost points for wrong answers. And grading is bases on a scale of 1 to 10 -- 5 being a passing grade. Students and teachers are concerned about passing the class and not what grade they get (GPA is not even considered important). It is very difficult, therefore, to get high numerical grades and the average is usually very low; many students each year in fact fail. However, IES has a grading curve that better matches grading in the US system.

On-site administration of your program

The people in the program administration were amazing. They were all friendly, always reached out to you, and they were constantly trying to make sure everything was going well and that you were having a good time and doing well in your classes.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in an apartment, with 4 other IES students and one Spanish "compañero." The people that lived with were all amazing and overall it was a great experience. I lived in building number 31 at Hilarion Eslava street -- 15 minutes away from IES (walking) and a block away from the Moncloa metro station. The location was great, since many students who study at the Complutense University live in that area. There were several bars and dance clubs to go to in the area, and several places to eat good tapas. My favorite thing about the location was that it was right next to Parque del Oeste -- a beautiful park to go and just relax on a sunny afternoon.

Spanish food is delicious. And living in an apartment gave me the opportunity of learning how to cook. I love tapas and I love the fact that you can get them at any time and at any place. I specially like tortilla de patatas, bocadillos de lomo, and anything you can get at 100 Montaditos.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Spaniards are overall very nice and open people. Their culture and way of life is relaxed, fun and busy at the same time. They study hard, and yet they love to hang out in the numerous parks around the city, go out at night, and just have fun in general. Since I lived and had classes with other people from IES, I did spend a lot of time with them, but I also made many Spanish friends. At the university, people will usually not approach you (they all have the same classes together and they have their groups and clicks formed). But if you approach them, they are always open, welcoming and nice to talk to.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Madrid is one of the safest cities I've been to. IES staff constantly warned us about pick-pocketing, but I never encountered this or any other issue regarding safety. People are always out in the streets at literally all hours.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Overall, Spain is not very expensive. Transportation was cheap if you buy the monthly Abono Transporte and food was not that expensive.

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• Apartment

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• Local Students
• Americans

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Trips planned by IES
• Housing
• Madrid life in general

• Diversity of class offerings at IES (specially for engineers)

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