I used my internship with the Intern Group in Madrid to help me secure a spot in my master's conversion course in Computer Science at the University of Bath - providing a stepping stone into helping me change to a field I desire.
My time on the internship was challenging but served as an impactful learning experience, instilling my love for software development. In turn, providing me clarification into switching from conventional classroom teaching, to now exploring the world of EdTech by making applications that can act as supportive classroom tools.
The social life in Madrid was nothing short of fabulous, on plenty of occasions I found myself enjoying not just Madrid but Spain in general with other interns that Lalita chaperoned. This included organised trips to Segovia, Toledo arranged by Lalita herself, as well as going on trips with my new found friends to other parts of Spain such as Valencia, enjoying the beach and authentic paella - not whatever they have in the UK.
In terms of recreational activities by myself outside of work, I also got the chance to pick up surfing for the first time, whereas in Bristol my options are more limited due to the comparative lack of public transport options.
The accommodation I stayed in had an excellent view whilst also being away from the city centre; I had the best of both worlds, I got to have fun at the clubs whilst being able to actually sleep off the hangover the next day!
The only drawback I can think of was that the accommodation we stayed in lacked air conditioning, however there was the option of buying a fan and sitting a bowl of ice in front of it. Being from the UK, this was only a slight issue as my plane tickets were a lot cheaper than my north american counterparts.
I highly recommend this internship to anyone if you value dipping your toes into new areas, especially if you're unsure on what to pursue after graduation. Additionally, if like me you stayed home during university, I highly recommend this internship opportunity as it will allow you to branch out and see what it's like living with other people - even if in the end you might not get along with them, but whatever there's tons of other likeminded people to meet.
In the end, when I got back to the UK all I could do was sigh and go "home shit home", would go back in a heart beat!
Response from The Intern Group
Thank you for telling us about your experience in Madrid, Olivia! It's wonderful to hear you enjoyed your placement and the events organized by our team. We're really looking forward to seeing all you'll achieve following your program - we know you'll go far!