IES Abroad Madrid

I definitely recommend studying abroad to anyone who has the chance - my semester in Madrid was the best time of my life. IES Madrid is an amazing program, providing so many opportunities to meet new people (both American and Spanish!), immerse yourself in the culture (with weekend and day trips to other cities and activities to get to know Madrid better!), and improve your Spanish (living with a host family, taking classes in Spanish, and interacting with the wonderful professors and staff!)
Such an incredible experience!

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to study abroad. I love exploring new cultures and traveling to new places. I had been dreaming of every possible scenario of what my experience would be like before I left. Studying abroad with IES in Madrid was even better than I could have imagined. When I arrived, I was immediately welcomed by the IES staff at the airport. And this was just the beginning. Throughout the semester, I felt like the staff was always there to guide and help us while still giving us the free range to explore and grow in a new country.

For six memorable months, I lived in a small central town in Madrid called Embajadores. Although my Spanish was limited to “hola” and “cómo estás” before I arrived, I managed to get around pretty well! My host mom was phenomenal - IES does make sure that families are very welcoming and they check on you throughout the semester. She knew some English but she made the effort to teach me Spanish by speaking very slowly and talking to me about the different aspects of the Spanish culture over our daily sobremesa. Long story short, I highly I recommend living with a host family to improve your Spanish and get a glimpse of the typical family life there. When I first arrived to Spain I traveled to other European countries frequently on the weekends since domestic flights in the euro zone are cheap, but as my departure date drew closer, I realized how much I enjoyed the local trips that IES has organized and decided to explore Madrid more closely which turned out to be a great decision! IES organizes many trips throughout the semester but most of the trips happen during orientation. Traveling around within Madrid was really easy with the unlimited transportation card that IES helps you get during orientation - you have to apply online before you arrive though so I highly recommend doing that. I think letting myself get lost with my friends and learning how to use a real map rather than GPS always ended with an interesting story! Overall, I’m really grateful for the opportunity to expand my cultural awareness and widen my horizons. The incredible experiences I had and the long-lasting relationships I made will always be a reminder of how incredible it is to open your mind and heart to a new culture and embrace the little things, like the slower pace of life, the impeccable fashion style, the great tapas and sangrias, and of course, the being casually late rule!

My experience abroad was extremely worthwhile. Not only did I greatly improve my Spanish speaking abilities, make new American and foreign friends, and explore all over Spain and Europe, but I also grew a lot as a person. Mainly, I experienced a new level of independence traveling in foreign countries by myself, and gained a fresh perspective on the US and also found a love for Spanish art!

I lived with a wonderful host mom and another American student. This experience, I think, is the best way to get immersed in the Spanish culture. She spoke to my roommate and I exclusively in Spanish and helped our language capabilities immensely. I learned a lot about Spain and the culture through our conversations, and got to know a network of other Spaniards through meeting her neighbors and extended family. My roommate and I each had our own bedrooms and had a separate bathroom, and the apartment was always extremely clean. I was in a safe neighborhood, very close to a lot of restaurants and shops and walking distance to school.

I will admit, I was a little nervous about having my food needs met in Spain as a vegetarian. However, my host mom was very accommodating to my food restrictions and still made me traditional Spanish dishes, just often substituting meat or fish with eggs or beans. She also let us use her kitchen to make dinners at night, and often let us eat leftovers from lunch for dinner.

As for the classes,they are fairly easy in comparison to the coursework I am accustomed to at my home university. That being said, the professors are knowledgeable in their subjects and very understanding about speaking clearly (and repeating things) in Spanish and about accommodating students. The art classes in particular are fantastic, as they take place in the Prado and Reina Sofia museums and you learn about the art as you look at it!

One thing that really stood out to me about this particular program is that the staff at IES Madrid is incredible. They are all extremely friendly and eager to get to know each student as a person- they had all of our names memorized day 1! They work very hard to get everyone matched into classes they want. I was on the waitlist for 4 out of the 5 classes I ended up taking- they got me into every class I wanted. They also put a lot of effort into extracurricular activities and program-lead trips to places that a typical abroad student might not know to visit. Overall, I cannot recommend IES Abroad Madrid- Language and Area Studies program enough.

The biggest strength of this program the opportunities for immersion it provides. Through IES, I lived with an older Spanish couple who didn't speak any English. I interned with a non-profit educational group, and tutored high school students. Through these I was forced day in and day out to speak Spanish, and I left the country feeling very confident in everyday conversation. IES also offers the opportunity to take classes at UCM (the local university) with Spanish students, something I unfortunately was unable to do.

The social scene in Madrid makes it impossible to be bored. Clubs stay packed on weekends until 6am. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid soccer tickets can be purchased relatively cheap (as long as you're ok with nosebleed seats). Students get in most museums for free, and beautiful parks are all over the city. Just about every distinct dish found around Spain can be found in Madrid because of its central location.

The program was overall amazing. The staff was extremely helpful and the city was beautiful. The people of the city were always willing to help with anything and there were always plenty of things to do. I must mention that I did not have a language barrier but through observations those who were not native speakers were doing just fine.

Choosing to do a semester abroad with IES was the best decision I have made in college. Being an engineer, finding a study abroad program you like can be really challenging, but I LOVED this program and am so happy I chose it! Not only did it give me the opportunity to dust off my Spanish, but as an engineering student, I got to take classes with Spanish students at a real Spanish university. This really made all the difference between a program with just a satellite university with all American students and professors and the IES Engineering program. I had the opportunity to meet so many Spaniards my age who shared with me their culture and lifestyle (and also gave me really great tips on what to do and see in Madrid and the rest of the country). The IES staff were so supportive all throughout the semester, making a point to check in at least every month and make sure we were adjusting well to the new experiences. Also, I loved having the opportunity to live in a home-stay for five months with a Spanish family. This was one of my favorite parts of living in Spain for 5 months because it truly immersed me in the Spanish culture, forced me out of my comfort zone, and greatly improved my Spanish language capabilities. Thank you IES for an absolutely unforgettable semester!

Studying abroad in Madrid through IES provided me with a multi-dimensional understanding of the city and country. The staff was so supportive in making sure that students had a plethora of options to do whatever interested them. For example, I was given a guitar sot hat I could continue practicing at my home stay. The field trips through the program were incredibly informative and gave us a deeper understanding of the history of Spain. My homestay family truly feels like my second family, and I miss them dearly.

I really would recommend IES Madrid because the strong staff really are the backbone of the program. The program allowed me to feel a sense of security and provided me with the confidence to travel through Europe independently.