Mi Aventura Española: 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.