IES Abroad Madrid

Don't be discouraged to pursue studying abroad in Madrid if you are an engineering major. I was able to take equivalent courses for my Electrical and Computer Engineering degree, and balanced the course load with travelling just fine. In fact, I was able to schedule my courses so that I had a free Friday, allowing me a 3 day weekend to sight-see.

IES provided students with a weekly tutoring session with professors of their courses, similar to "Office Hours" but held alongside other IES Abroad students in your class. These were not only very helpful, but also attendance counted toward your grade(about 20-25%). The toughest part about courses at Universidad Carlos III was the lab sessions. To quell the difficulty, I made sure to use the tutoring sessions to go over any problems in the lab sessions. Official homework was not assigned, but these tutorial sessions provided a space to clarify any issues during the lecture.

Others have written about the many tours and excursions during the program and I highly encourage students to go on these, even the optional ones. At best, they are a fantastic way to learn about new cities(Toledo, Segovia, etc) thanks to guided tours and at worst, they can be a fun way to meet other IES students and get free food! I always learned something interesting from these excursions, and wish I went on more during my time in Madrid.

I really enjoyed my time in Madrid! I personally enjoy spending time outside. Because of this, I spent a lot of time in the parks around the city. This was by far my favorite part of the experience, walking around the city to explore the parks and relax! Sometimes I would spend 3 or 4 days a week at various parks doing homework, walking and just enjoying the environment! Madrid also has so many museums, plazas and culture to take part in and enjoy!

I lived in a home stay for my semester abroad. I was with a single mother and her two daughters during this time. I was very satisfied with the interaction between the family members and also the meals that were prepared for me with dessert and everything.

The one area that maybe could have used a little improvement was the administration system at the school. The IES program partnered with a local university and used some of the extra space at this university for classes. But since the school and IES weren't one in the same entity, there sometimes was miscommunication between the two that led to certain issues. Things such as a lack of access to rooms that students were expected to have access to and lack of support for the IES program teachers because they weren't technically professors of the school. I felt the instructors often did the best they could with what they had but were limited by this situation.

Overall, given the opportunity, I would love to do this over again if I could and would recommend it for those looking to improve their Spanish and experience the culture first hand as well.

Studying abroad in Madrid was the greatest experience of my life. Although that may sound pretty cliché, it is completely true. The opportunities I had to become fully immersed in the culture while I was abroad were truly incredible. I will never forget my time abroad!

My host family welcomed me with open arms. Of course I was a little nervous to meet them and live with them for four months, but they were the most loving family I ever met. We had family dinners every night and my Spanish improved tremendously! I got to live with a mother, a father, and two kids who were 7 and 10 years old. They were absolutely adorable and I loved playing with them! They always made me smile and asked me how my day was. I felt really connected to them and the entire family.

The city of Madrid is just absolutely beautiful. It’s clean, the people are nice, and there is so much culture on every street. My walk to class would consist of passing by tons of restaurants, markets, and even parks. I went on excursions with the program to different parts of Spain, took a class in the Prado museum, spent my weekends in Retiro Park, and even went to a Real Madrid soccer game! These were only some of the amazing opportunities I had while I was in Spain.

As a Spanish Education major, my Spanish improved so much with my time in Spain. Talking with locals, ordering at a restaurant, bargaining a price for a purse, and talking with my host family: these are just a few of the things I would do to improve my Spanish. Learning Spanish in a classroom is great, but getting the opportunity to fully delve into the culture and be with true native Spanish speakers is the best teaching tool of all.

I had an experience I will never forget in Madrid thanks to IES. They were very organized and helped me throughout my entire pre departure process. I did not apply for a visa through IES, and when I ran into problems the staff was very helpful in solving the problem.

Once I arrived, it did not take me long to feel at home. I had the most wonderful host family, and the staff helped us acclimate. The weekend excursions, and extracurriculars that I participated in were especially fun and marked my experience. I would recommend getting involved in all the activities that IES offers such as cooking classes, dance lessons, and exchange groups where you meet with Spanish students.

As for the classes, I enjoyed some of them and some were fairly bland. I did expect this being abroad, and overall did not feel like I was wasting my time despite the course load because it helped me improve my Spanish. I would recommend taking the Art History class at the Prado it was an unforgettable experience.

My living situation was perfect, the food was delicious, and the people on the program were amazing. My only complaint would be the Spanish connections to the community. I felt that it was not the easiest to connect with Spaniards organically, you had to search for opportunities such as going to intercambio bars to truly feel connected. Overall it was a semester I will never forget and I would highly recommend this program to anyone considering it!

This was an incredible program that offered multiple opportunities to get involved!!! It was because of my time in Madrid I have become the person I am today.
Being abroad can help you become a more confident and knowledgeable person, but a key aspect of this is having a supportive program that keeps you safe while giving you enough room to grow. The staff at IES Abroad succeeded in doing this. It also helped foster positive relationships between everyone (locals and other Americans) while keeping it all-Spanish, which is key in developing confidence in speaking another language.
IES Abroad –Madrid was an incredible program, and I would be happy to recommend it to anyone.

I had a fabulous experience studying abroad in Madrid with IES. I greatly improved my ability to speak Spanish through not only the courses that I took, but the other opportunities that the program offered such as being a teaching assistant and going on excursions with local students. In addition to this, I had an excellent home stay where I got to experience local cuisine as well as really get a feel for what life is like for someone living in Madrid. I felt that I was given ample opportunities to explore not only Madrid, but also parts of Spain with IES.

I fell head over heels IN LOVE with Madrid, Spain! The culture, the people, the city, the food, the language, everything! I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. It was more than I could have ever asked for!

The program specifically was phenomenal. The classes were intriguing and challenging while also making the information very real and relatable to us. We were able to take a class at the local university called La Universidad Complutense Madrid (UCM). There we were in a class completely with local Spanish students, so it was a lot of fun to talk and meet new people while also learning about a subject.

As far as my living situation, I stayed in a homestay with a family and I absolutely loved it! The family was so loving, and the kids were just adorable! Not to mention, my host mom could make some mean fish! She is such a cook!

The program took us on many side trips within Spain such as Bilbao, Asturias, and Toledo which gave us the opportunity to experience the various cultures of the different regions within Spain. Even within Madrid, there was so much to experience there. The city was always moving and going! You would wake up in the morning and go to class, and then have a comida and a siesta around 2:30pm. From there you could visit parks like Retiro, walk down some beautiful streets or visit a museum. The night would roll in and you could eat dinner in a restaurant with friends and continue the night as you enjoyed the fun atmosphere of Madrid's nightlife. Eventually, you would go home and wake up the next morning so that you could do it all over again.

If someone offered e another chance to go back, I would take that opportunity in a heart beat, for I believe that I left a large part of my heart back in Spain.

As a student majoring in Spanish and International Relations, studying in Madrid was a like a capstone to my undergraduate studies. In Madrid, everything that I had spent semesters studying at my home university came to life as I spent my free time traveling around Europe; it was nothing short of magical.

Studying abroad is both an exciting and anxiety-inducing experience, and I found that the staff at IES were always extremely accommodating with me at every point of my study abroad experience, from assisting me in the preparation of pre-departure documentation to supporting me in whatever situation arose while in Spain. What really set IES apart from other study abroad programs for me was how personal the experience was-- every administrator knew my name when I arrived and were constantly checking in to see how I was adapting. When you are living in a new country, these little gestures can make a world of a difference.

Academically, IES was very good at engaging students in Spanish culture. During my semester I had the opportunity to take classes at various art museums around Madrid, at local universities, take the DELE language certification exam and even participate in a part time internship for academic credit. Since most courses are taught at the IES Abroad Center, students have the support of a community of other US college students studying in Madrid, but are also encouraged to seek out friendships with Spanish students outside the IES community by living in Spanish dorms, taking a course at a local university and participating in language intercambios.

The program does a really good job of ensuring students experience all the wonderful things that Spanish culture has to offer by providing cooking and flamenco lessons, weekend excursions, and inviting students to dinners and performances around Madrid. Students have the option of living in a traditional homestay, an apartment with other US students or dorms with Spanish students. The choice is up to you, but can greatly influence your level of cultural and language immersion with dorms being the most social option and an apartment being much less immersive.

What makes IES so great is that every student is given the opportunity to make their study abroad experience fulfill both their unique needs and personal goals. Highly recommended for anyone considering studying in Spain!