Madrid-- a Perfect Student City Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes for this program were not very difficult; that said, I appreciated that I learned a lot but was not constrained by the need to study a lot. I really did learn, but I just didn't have to spend all my time studying, and could instead devote more time to soaking in Madrid.

On-site administration of your program

Everything was so well organized! There was one office in our study abroad center where we could sign up for everything or ask any questions. All the sign-ups for cooking classes, flamenco classes, field trips, tours, etc. were all in the same place and our trips were very well organized.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in an apartment owned by IES Abroad and it was SO nice. While most people in Spain don't have dishwashers/dryers in their apartments, ours did, plus a very spacious living room and dining room, a dining patio, and a bunch of single rooms. They were also about to install an air conditioning in the apartment (not the norm in Spain) when our program ended, so whoever moved in for the fall semester gets to benefit from that as well! Every apartment has a compañero/a, a Spanish student (usually a grad student) who is there to help you adjust to Spanish life, answer questions, and ensure that you're getting enough Spanish practice in at home since you're not living with a Spanish family if you're in a student apartment. I absolutely loved my compañera-- she was so sweet! Random side note-- IES also kept buying us new appliances for the kitchen, like a juicer! Small but nice when you're in an unfamiliar place.

Spanish food is good, though there isn't as much diversity in the food there as in other countries, so by the end I was ready for variation in my food. I cooked for myself because I was in an apartment, which I really liked, but I know that Spanish señoras are infamous for making sure no one goes to school with an empty stomach-- in fact, people in homestays often said that they had too much good food.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Of course as a study abroad student you will never become completely integrated, especially in a program that is only 6 weeks, but Madrileños are exceptionally friendly and willing to integrate you into their daily lives/culture. I made many Spanish friends and spent many nights sharing tapas with them and speaking with them. IES staff made sure that on field trips we all spoke Spanish and learned as much about the culture as possible.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had occasion to need to visit the doctor while I was in Madrid, and while I was worried that it would be a huge confusing hassle, it was actually fairly painless. The IES center set up an appointment for me at the Unidad Medico which was easy to get to and everyone spoke perfect English (something that's nice when you're navigating the healthcare system). I had to pay a small copay but that was not a big deal at all (I think it was like 15 euros or something).

Though Madrid seems fairly safe to me, it's a big city with tourists so pickpocketing is always a concern. IES set up a meeting for us with local police at the very start of our program where they told us how to identify/avoid pickpockets, which was good, but there were still a few incidents. I almost got pickpocketed on a busy metro once, but luckily realized before the man got anything, and my roommate had her things stolen at a discoteca on a crowded dance floor. The important thing is to be really aware of your things and the people around you!

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

My parents had to help me out with money while I was there because I'm used to having a job at school that helps me with money, but that said, Madrid is less expensive than many European cities. I went to London after my program in Madrid ended and spent more on public transportation in 1 week than in 2 months in Madrid. I probably saved some money cooking for myself whereas people who stayed in homestays without kitchen privileges usually had to have tapas for dinner out at a restaurant or bar because dinner isn't provided in the meals.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Whenever IES staff members were around, they wanted us to speak Spanish (and that included field trips, classes, etc.). My compañera spoke mostly Spanish with us unless we were really struggling because we didn't know certain vocabulary, then she would switch over to English.

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• Apartment

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• Local Students
• Americans

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• Americans

• The people (staff, students)
• The city (big but not touristy)
• The included things (cooking class, trip to Valencia, field trips, etc.)

• It took awhile to get our final grades after we left
• Some people lived very far away from school

The Outright Urbanite