La Despedida

What an unforgettable four and a half months studying abroad at La Universidad de Carlos III de Madrid! It was an extraordinary adventure jam-packed with unique experiences: meeting exchange students from all corners of the globe, relishing the electric nightlife, learning foreign languages, enjoying complete independence, passionately cheering during fútbol games, late nights studying and early mornings travelling.

     I made it through finals week without a hitch and arrived in Baltimore yesterday to start my summer internship. It felt amazing to be back in America when I drove my car on the smooth open roads, stopped at a plaza with a Subway and Ruby Tuesday’s, and marveled at the prices and variety of products at Dick’s Sporting Goods. It’s good to be home.

DESPEDIDA PARTY: An emotional night of reminiscing with great friends from across the world

     I threw a going-away party for myself and delighted in the opportunity to share laughs with my international buddies for the last time. Saying adiós at the end of the night was heart-wrenching and I wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming emotions: joy for having developed such meaningful relationships and despair for having to part ways. The study abroad experience was very socially fulfilling because I spent so much time alongside my friends eating, studying, travelling, fighting, laughing- we practically lived together. It’s an odd feeling to cry and smile at the same time when I think back on the late-night bus rides home from Madrid, singing and laughing like there was no tomorrow. I truly came to love my friends and it’s agonizing to imagine a future without them.

ESN: A flag with notes from international buddies. Tomek (POL) and Matt (AUS)
were two of the funniest guys I've ever met and were among my most trusted friends.

TRAIN STATION GOODBYE: Gabriel became one of my best
friends and was my travel buddy in Greece. I plan to visit him in
Puerto Rico for a personalized tour of the bioluminescent bays. 

INTERNATIONAL LOVE: It was impossible to feel homesick when
my heart belonged to Mariana, my girlfriend from Torreón, México.

Here’s a list of tips I wish someone had given me prior to studying abroad at Carlos III in Madrid:

•  Buy the monthly abono transport pass as soon as you can.
• Avoid classes that are notoriously difficult by asking older Spanish students for advice the first week you arrive. Even though you pick classes with your advisor beforehand, you must be flexible during registration or you will get stuck with attending Friday evening classes and doing weekly homework assignments while your friends party with Messi in Barcelona.
• Never miss a social outing at El Tigre, Cien Montaditos, or Museo de Jamón.
• Be the first ones at the nightclub or you’ll spend an hour waiting in line.
• Plane tickets are a lot more expensive on Fridays and Sundays, so crafting a schedule that allows long weekends will go a long way to saving money on travel.
• Don’t think that partying is the only way to make friends. I was a lot closer to the people I played soccer and ate pizza with than I was with those who didn’t show up to the afternoon picnic but were always gun-ho to go out clubbing.
• Even though it’s tough to swallow the fact that your girlfriend has liked every picture on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Instagram account, be a fan of Real Madrid. Definitely go to one of their games, even if you have to watch from the nosebleeds. Atlético will only break your heart.
• Take business classes in Spanish no matter how weak you think your skills are. You only need a 5 out of 10 to pass and the professors are understanding of the potential language barrier. Plus, a lot of them did their Master’s degree in America, so they’ll give you a high five for representing the USA.
• Buy an unlocked smart phone and load it with credit when you arrive (use Vodafone or Orange). It’s essential for contacting new friends and planning social outings- the best investment you can make in your social life.
• Join ESN and attend all the events they have planned. It’s the fastest way to make friends and offers great trips for reasonable prices.
• Make an effort to learn the local slang. I had to endure endless teasing in the cafeteria for my Latin American vocabulary, which could have been easily avoided by preparing ahead of time.
• Live it up! You’ll never get the same chance to meet people from so many cultures while having unlimited free time to invest in developing relationships with them and absorbing all they know.

I would be happy to give advice to any IB students studying abroad at Carlos III in the future. My email addresses are jacktisdall@gmail.com and tisdall@email.sc.edu. ¡Qué le vaya bien!

HASTA LA VISTA: Thank you to the USC IB program for this wondrous, life-changing experience!

Champions League Final

CÓMO NO TE VOY A QUERER: The city went absolutely nuts for the
European soccer championship held between two rival Madrid teams.

This year, two teams from Madrid competed in the European fútbol championship held in Lisbon, Portugal. It’s safe to say that the local intensity level made Clemson vs. USC seem like a little league softball game. This highly-anticipated match fell right in the middle of finals and was a welcome break from the monotony of studying. The entire week leading up to the championship was all about soccer: everyone on campus wore their team’s uniform, there was constant coverage on the TV and in the newspapers, and my professor even started a classroom chant prior to the start of our exam.

    The rivalry between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid is fierce and bloody- the city refused to play the game on big screens in the city center for fear of violence between fans. We watched the game in a bar just outside of Real Madrid’s stadium, where there was epic rioting and constant chanting, complete with smoke, broken glass, firecrackers, horn-honking and flag-waving. When Real Madrid tied the game with two minutes left, the bar absolutely erupted with fans tackling each other onto the dirty floor in pure ecstasy, embracing one another like long-lost siblings finally reunited.

RIOT IN CIBELES: The plaza was packed with thousands of out-of-control fans.

     In the end, the odds-on favorite Real Madrid prevailed over the low-budget and clearly jinxed Atlético, and the enraptured fans took to the streets. We then walked alongside thousands of people en route to the Plaza de Cibeles, an iconic square where Real Madrid fans go to celebrate their team’s victories. It was an extremely chaotic scene that the hundreds of police stood no chance of controlling, despite their full-on riot gear. At 6AM, the Real Madrid players returned from Lisbon and paraded through the plaza on their bus, proclaiming their tenth Champions League title. It was truly a night to remember.

ESTADIO BERNABÉU: The celebration in Real Madrid's stadium the day after the win

It’s All Greek to Me

MYKONOS: A week of gyros and spectacular ocean views was a welcome getaway.

I took advantage of the time between the end of classes and the start of final exams to explore the Greek Isles with my amigo puertorriqueño, Gabriel. We spent a day and a half in Athens, two in Mykonos, and two in Santorini. While I’ll admit there’s a certain pleasure in touristic trips that revolve around taking pictures in front of old churches, I enjoyed my time in Greece because it was the complete opposite: high adrenaline, action-packed and loaded with adventures you probably won’t tell to your mother.

PARTHENON: A temple dedicated to the goddess Athena located 

atop the Acropolis, the citadel of the Ancient Greeks of Athens.

Καλλιμάρμαρο: The ancient, white marble stadium where Olympic 

athletes used to compete in the nude.

ISLAND HOPPING: This huge ferry is a cheap way to travel and 

provides spectacular views of the archipelago. 

ZOOM ZOOM: The scooter and ATV were perfect for exploring the islands despite the cold. The helmet would have been useful in a crash, but more than anything it kept my ears warm!

WINDMILLS: Built by the Venetians in the 16^th century, 

they are an icon of the Cyclades.

DONKEY RIDE: A novel means of climbing the steep cliffs of 

Santorini and the only way to avoid stepping in their dung.

GYRO: We ate at least a dozen of these, along with Greek salad,

 tzatziki, and moussaka.

ACTIVE VOLCANO: Gabriel and I stand atop a steaming rock shortly 

before swimming in the hot springs heated by the lava.

MISNOMER: Not only did my teeth chatter for an hour after an icy swim 

at “Paradise” Beach, but the sea salt made my back really itchy.

RED BEACH: These soaring lava cliffs surround a beach of Gamecock Garnet sand.

May Jubilance

The University of Carlos III is quite bleak in the first few weeks of the spring semester, but as the sun and humidity set in full force throughout the season, the flowers bloom and the air is rich with spring. The last two weeks have been filled with end-of-the-semester group projects as well as leisure in the scorching sun.

     Regarding schoolwork, lots of classes here at UC3M are designed to be smooth-sailing for the first few months and then really heavy with essays and presentations at the end. Recently, school went from a walk in the park to consisting of consecutive days jam-packed with group meetings and research in the library. Being an foreigner makes finding a good group for projects difficult, so it’s worth investing some time towards developing relationships with the more dedicated students. I ended up putting together our entire oral exposition for Economic History because the hooligans in my group simply didn’t care enough to put forth an effort (and I’m the one who’s taking the class pass/fail!).

     The following are pictures from some of the best local activities I’ve taken part in: playing tennis at the university, attending the Madrid Open, and going to the amusement park.

TENNIS 101: This is only half the class, but the tennis pro who is standing next to
 me, Alberto, is a really cool guy who constantly teases me about America. 

MADRID OPEN: A Masters tournament is going on this week on the local red clay.

LLEYTON HEWITT: I got to see my favorite tennis player live, and
came to the conclusion that he should really just retire already.

FOX SPORTS CHANNEL: Matt's brother took this picture of us on TV in Australia
 pouting after Hewitt failed to hold serve in the deciding third set.

AMUSEMENT PARK: I spent an afternoon waiting in formidable lines,
but it was worth it to hang out with my two Puerto Rican friends.

PARIS: Well, maybe not quite!

Spring Break

The only thing that stood in the way of me and the long-awaited Semana Santa Spring Break was my C1 Spanish Certification Exam. Despite months of practice exams and grammar exercises, nothing could have prepared me for the Colombian painter who mumbled his way through the interview that made up the first part of the listening portion of the exam. That said, I feel confident about my oral exposition, so-so about my formal letter, and 100 percent certain about my reading comprehension (which is the only competency that high school and university language classes drill into your brain, in my experience). I won’t find out the results for another two months, but a trip to Colombia in the meantime may be the only way I’ll stand a chance of passing next time!

PRAÇA DA LIBERDADE: The central square of Oporto and its city hall

     Having truly done the best I could on the DELE exam, I was finally free to go with my girlfriend to Oporto, Portugal for three glorious days. Unlike London or Paris, Oporto is off the beaten path, so it’s relatively cheap. We flew in on a 20€ RyanAir flight and checked into a pleasant hostel with a friendly owner, João. I took PORT299 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers, so I know enough of the local lingo to make native speakers (including all taxi drivers and João) laugh at my sorry attempts to communicate, but I got the sense that their jests were in good fun. 

FRANCESINHA: A mouth-watering sandwich typical of Oporto that's
packed with meat and covered in melted cheese and beer sauce

CARNE ASADA: A smorgasbord of meat hot off the grill

     We did two free walking tours, which was more than sufficient exercise given that Oporto is an enormous valley with two massive slopes on either side of the river. The city’s history is genuinely fascinating- from the café where J. K. Rowling was inspired to write Harry Potter to King Pedro IV who fled to Brazil to escape Napoleon’s advancing army. As for nourishment, the famous Port dessert wine we tasted after a tour of the winery was tart but exquisite, and the heavy, luscious local food was to die for. I highly recommend Oporto if you’re on a budget and looking for a nontraditional European city.

DOM LUÍS BRIDGE: At 172 meters, it was the longest metal arch bridge in
the world at the time of its construction in 1886. 

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Constructed by Téophile Seyrig, who was the apprentice of Gustave Eiffel, the bridge almost looks like the Eiffel Tower on its side
(...which proves I'm no expert on architecture!)

     We flew back early Wednesday morning with the intention of using the rest of the vacation to explore Madrid and the gems that surround it. Before anything, however, we had a recovery day and watched two excellent Mexican movies, Nosotros los Nobles and No Se Aceptan Devoluciones, as a means of broadening my cultural understanding of Mariana’s home country. Both were hilarious and quite enlightening- I recommend them for anyone who studies Spanish. The rest of the weekend was spent touring Madrid and its surrounding communities, which are truly spectacular and their historical importance can’t be underestimated. After two and a half months here, I still have not experienced even half of the unique cultural attractions that the Madrid region has to offer.

PALACIO REAL DE MADRID: Originally a 9th-century fortress that
 burned down in 1734 and was later rebuilt by King Philip V, it is
the largest palace in Europe by floor area with 3,418 rooms. 

REAL JARDÍN BOTANICO: Sublime afternoon touring the royal
gardens rich with tulips blooming in the fragrant spring air

ARANJUEZ: An outlying town with picturesque gardens, it is
one of the Royal Estates of the Crown of Spain.

ATLÉTICO: An exciting fútbol match complete with fans taking it way too seriously
(I mean it's not like we're talking about a rivalry match-up in the SEC or anything)

As you may have concluded, I have fallen hopelessly, desperately in love, which is one of the joys and dangers of studying abroad. It’s been awesome having a travel companion with whom to see the sites, taste the food, and share the memories. What’s more, whether it’s a silly inside joke or a teary-eyed fight, with Mariana my Spanish is constantly improving (her English… not so much). It’s heart-breaking to imagine splitting up in five weeks when I leave the country, but the impending denouement makes each moment that much sweeter. It’s as they say: “Don’t be sad that it’s over, just be happy that it happened at all.”

P.S. If anyone could give me a good Spanish translation of that last quote, that would be invaluable seeing as Mariana doesn’t seem to share that buoyant sentiment!

La Vida Universitaria

ENTRESEMANA: The Wednesday night cena tradition lives on.

I haven’t had a quiet moment to myself in months. Studying for midterms, going to international student events, competing in sports, and teaching my girlfriend English (fruitlessly, I might add) all make up the university lifestyle at UC3M which leaves very few moments for meditation and reflection. I’m glad Facebook is keeping a steady record of my study abroad experience because the time is flying by and sometimes I don’t even know what day of the week it is. I’m halfway through my stay and I leave in nine weeks, though it feels like I just got here.

     Having survived midterms, I can offer a few tips for students who are planning on studying abroad. At this university, there exists a treasure trove of solved problem sets and exhaustive study guides that is guarded carefully by a network of Spanish guardianes. I would say it’s well worth your time to befriend your classmates, especially those wearing a Castilla-La Mancha emblem on their right shoulder (see right). Just kidding! Look for the kids who get called on to solve problems in front of the class and end up with the right answer without doing the right preceding steps.

     Another point to consider is what you want to get out of your time abroad. For me, this is my first and likely last extended stay in Europe, so it’s worth my while to travel almost every weekend. This is practically impossible if you take notoriously difficult classes like international trade and econometrics. Matt studied his butt off for 2 weeks and got a 60 and 45 percent on the midterms for those classes. He’s a smart kid, so this was likely due to A) not being a part of the Spanish Knights Templar Inner Circle of Solved Problem Sets and B) there’s not a lot of help to be found outside of the classroom, especially for the extremely challenging classes. By contrast, all my midterms were “tipo test,” which means multiple choice, and they were definitely manageable except for tricky Spanish vocabulary from which the professor prohibited me using a Spanish-English dictionary.  

     In other news, I had the chance to give a presentation in a bilingual high school about why one should study abroad. The kids were really funny and it was an awesome experience. I will post the video once it’s uploaded to the website.

     Also, an exceptional opportunity to consider if you’re studying abroad in Spain is the Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera, otherwise known as the DELE, which is a Spanish language certification. I recently finished my preparation course and am currently touching up my written and oral exposition skills before taking the exam on April 11. I will be taking the C1 exam, which is the second highest level and is the minimum that is required to work in the Spanish government. It’s fairly difficult, which has motivated me to study my grammar like never before. I have often complained that what one learns in a university language course has little to do with how native speakers actually converse. The irony is that now I find myself striving to avoid the beloved slang I’ve painstakingly learned and instead use exclusively formal, academic language. But let me tell you, come April 12, I’ll get right back to my reggaetonero roots, güey!

     This past Saturday, there was a noteworthy riot in the heart of Madrid. I saw the demonstration during the day when it consisted of thousands of mostly sane, slightly elderly people protesting loudly but peacefully. However, as night fell, the violent hooligans descended like a hive of agitated wasps upon the city and the resulting chaos is something to behold:

     To conclude, one pattern that I’ve observed here in Madrid is the fact that America is in fashion. Everywhere I look, I see NBA and NFL jerseys, sweaters embroidered with the American flag, t-shirts of The Ramones and Jack Daniel’s, hats with NYPD… the list goes on and on. This contradicts the notion that Spanish citizens don’t like Americans, because in reality our culture pervades theirs on many levels and representing the stars and stripes is trendy. It’s rare that I don’t hear at least one comment anytime I wear my Boston Celtics t-shirt, and it’s always a great conversation starter. So even though advisors will tell you to leave your loud American clothing at home, I suggest you be proud of where you’re from and represent your home colors, because the people here admire America and appreciate our culture.

PRIMOS: My best friends from Asunción, Paraguay and my fiercest fútbol competitors

Segovia

LA MURALLA: This massive wall defended the city from the invading hordes for over 15 centuries until its intimidating defenses finally succumbed to the overwhelming waves of tourists. Here we sit victorious.

I had a midterm in International Finance on Friday that tested the picky mathematics of currency trading, so it was a relief to spend Saturday touring the city of Segovia, which dates back two millennia. The trip was organized by the residence hall association, which is one of the benefits of living in the dorms, so the one-hour bus ride cost just three euros round-trip. The weather was perfect and I made some cool friends in the afternoon. Madrid’s central location makes travelling effortless and going on daytrips to the surrounding historic cities has been one of the best parts of living here.

COCHINILLO: Segovia is famous for its piglet roasted whole and chopped into four massive hunks. It was unquestionably the best pork I've ever eaten in my life.

EL ALCÁZAR

EL ACUEDUCTO ROMANO

LA CATEDRAL

Guide to Studying Abroad in Madrid

Classes

The classes at Carlos III University are no more demanding than those at USC. The professors are known to go easier on exchange students, and there are office hours and tutoring to help you out in case you have to take one of the bruiser classes such as Econometrics. The credits transfer back to USC as pass/fail, and you need a five out of 10 to pass, which is manageable but should not be considered a walk in the park. The grading scale is less forgiving, and since most of the final grade depends on the final exam, passing isn’t just a matter of completing the in-class group assignments. Classes meet for 90 minutes twice a week. The first session is a lecture with roughly 50 students and the second is a practical with just a 25-student class that requires participation and turning in homework.

     I’m taking classes in Spanish, but most of my international friends are taking them in English. From what they’ve told me, some classes are a breeze, such as History of Spain, and they only go to the practicals (where attendance is taken) and not to the lectures. My best friend is taking International Trade, which is based heavily on microeconomics, has pop quizzes and two midterms, and the German professor with an uninterpretable accent doesn’t help matters. The key to the class selection process is to attend all of the classes you’re considering taking in the first week to see how they are, and then adjust your schedule accordingly. Additionally, note that the third and fourth year courses require less homework and in-class assignments than first year courses.

     As for business and economics classes in Spanish, the obvious advantages are the opportunity to practice academic Spanish and meet other Spanish-speaking students. I highly recommend this route because even if you’re not very fluent, the professors are understanding because most of them have studied English and know how hard it is! The Spanish professors often seek out exchange students because we offer a new perspective during class discussions, and this leads to an authentic student-professor relationship that I have found to be refreshing and useful. Also, most of the business classes that IB students need that are taught in English (International Management, etc.) fill up right away during registration, leaving only spots in the Spanish-taught classes. So far this semester, I’ve given a class presentation for 10 minutes, taken a midterm and written a 750-word essay all in Spanish, and though it was time-consuming to prepare in a different language, it was also more interesting and fun.

Location

Carlos III University is located  in a dungy city called Getafe, which is 25 minutes outside of the heart of Madrid by train. Approximately 90% of the exchange students at my university live in the city and commute to school, though I am doing the opposite. I live in the dorms, which has been awesome for meeting people, using the university gym and library, and it makes getting to and from class a lot less stressful. There are two dorms, and I live in the one with all single rooms called Gregorio Peces-Barba. I have my own bathroom and the shower is the best I've ever had in my life, with great water pressure and piping hot water. There is a cafeteria, an awesome caged basketball/soccer court outside, ping-pong table, PS4, projector TV, tons of study rooms, and a dinky gym. The other dorm is a lot more fun since it consists of all double rooms, but it’s really noisy and always smells like cigarette smoke. I figure I have the ideal situation because I get to spend the night socializing at the other dorm, and then return to my clean single room to sleep without the hooligans skateboarding in the hallway outside my door. The dorm is really expensive and the food isn’t very good, but the community is priceless.

     Living in downtown Madrid is perfect if you plan on going out to clubs a lot. The train stops at midnight and doesn’t start again until 6AM, so I have to take a night bus back to Getafe, which can be inconvenient. I have slept at friends’ apartments in the city several times, and it’s a lot easier to walk five minutes to their apartments and crash after a long of night of dancing instead of having to make the long hike to the bus station and wait in the cold for 30 minutes. That said, it’s equally inconvenient for them to take the train to campus every day and wait around in between classes. This is often an excuse for skipping class, so for those who aren’t very punctual or motivated, beware. If I were going to live in the city, I would try to find cool roommates via Facebook beforehand and seek out a roomy 5-person apartment near to Sol metro station (look for it on Google Maps).

Culture

In my opinion, Spanish people are more laid-back, less punctual, take more cigarette breaks and siestas, and don’t take themselves as seriously as we do in the States. It’s really easy to make friends because everyone wants to know what life is like in America. The more Spanish you know, the more you will be able to delve into the local culture because the language opens doors. For example, two kids in my dorm have invited me to visit their homes in Extremadura and the Canary Islands respectively, which would be virtually impossible to do if I didn’t speak Spanish. If ever you needed a motivation to study the irregular verbs in the preterite, let a weekend spent surfing and eating seafood in Canarias be it!

     If your Spanish is sketchy, don’t fret because there are 400 international students studying abroad here and a huge chunk of them are from European countries where English is the second language. It’s funny how my Polish friends speak more English here in Spain than they do Spanish. Truly, English is the language of international business and everyone constantly picks my brain for new vocabulary. Coming from the US and speaking somewhat passable Spanish, you will make a ton of friends and I guarantee you will have the semester of your life- I know I am.

     Everyone is absolutely wild about soccer here, so definitely bring your cleats if you're a player. The bars are packed anytime Real Madrid, Atlético or Barcelona plays, and going to a game is high on my list of priorities. I've found that sports are an awesome way to make friends, and you'll find leagues for everything here except hockey. Later this month, there will be an intra-campus sports tournament, and I'm representing my dorm in tennis, which should be a riotous event. Let me finish with one last piece of advice: Learn the basic steps of Salsa and Bachata before you come and you will be top dog in any club you step foot in. Think less "Wagon Wheel," more Romeo Santos, and you'll be well on your way.

PARQUE DEL BUEN RETIRO: A beautiful Saturday afternoon spent in
 this enormous park in the center of Madrid

WEATHER: The constant rain of February has finally given way to glorious spring.

DAY'S END: An artificial lake in front of the impressive Monument to Alfonso XII

Salamanca

TEAM: The crew that traveled to Salamanca

Last weekend, I went with all my Mexican friends to Salamanca, an historic university town. I seem to bring rainy weather everywhere go, but the churches were spectacular despite the constant drizzle. Erasmus exchange students from all over Spain were there for a big reunion, and the dinner party was really fun. The highlight was the extremely entertaining Flamenco show. One of the best parts of being in Madrid is its central location within Spain, which makes it painless to take trips to see all the spectacular cities that dot the country.

DINNER PARTY: We didn't get the memo about formal dress, so good thing my really
 good Puerto Rican friend Gabriel was able to keep it classy on our behalf.

FLAMENCO: Folk music and dance from Southern Spain

PLAZA MAYOR: One of Spain's most charming architectural designs

CATHEDRAL: Awesome view from atop a tower

SPENT: Taking a nap in the bus station after a draining weekend