IES Abroad Madrid – Engineering, Math & Science

My experience in Madrid was amazing. I got to meet a lot of people, learn all about a foreign culture, and travel to new places. One of my favorite parts of being abroad was being able to travel easily. Madrid was incredible, but smaller places outside of the city were breathtaking. The longest excursion we took as a program was to Córdoba. It was such a beautiful trip I'll never forget! It was also easy to travel outside of Spain; Berlin was my favorite.

Another thing about Madrid in particular is that their public transportation systems are very clean and easy to use. I live in a fairly rural area, and do not have much experience with using a Metro or taking a city bus. However, it was very simple once I figured it out!

Unfortunately, my experience was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. It was heartbreaking, which speaks to the unforgettable adventure I was having. I am very grateful for my abroad experience and for the IES staff that helped along the way. Everything was well organized and, even when disaster struck, I felt safe with my program. I hope to revisit the beautiful country of Spain in the future.

I couldn't have chosen a better program to pursue my studies abroad.

Center: The IES Madrid Center staff, particularly Angel, Yolanda, and Elvira, made my experience. Imagine going to a country where nobody speaks your language and where everyone you know is thousands of miles away! Angel immediately put us at ease and made us feel safe and at home. They take such good care of your health and safety; have no fear! At the same time, they coordinate extensive Spanish language learning and immersion opportunities, allowing anyone to come to Madrid and be at least a conversational speaker by the end.

City: A modern European city, with an exceptional walkability and subway system, where you can learn the second most spoken language in the United States. The diversity of Madrid is exceptional! You can talk to citizens of China, Germany, Syria, and Canada in the same hour. Locationally, the airport enables inexpensive travel seamlessly to the rest of Europe.

Academics: Universidad Carlos III is one of the top Engineering schools in the world. It is challenging, and going through IES means that you'll have a ton of support to help you succeed. IES arranges tutoring sessions for each of your classes, and they're thrilled to give you more if you ask for them! The courses at the center are even better. My intensive Spanish course brought a 100-level Spanish student to fluency, and my Religious History class used the city as a classroom, involving intense study of primary sources at museums and churches throughout the city.

If you want to study abroad you should absolutely consider Madrid and IES. Madrid has amazing food, culture, and nightlife and there was never a dull day. Also, you can travel to anywhere in Europe for less than $250 (~200euros) which I took full advantage of and was able to visit 13 countries and 25 cities. I would highly recommend studying in Madrid.

IES was also extremely helpful and made my experience that much better. They are always available if you get sick or lost or even just want a recommendation for a good place to eat. Also they have required tutoring classes that count for 25% of your grade and the entire grade is attendance, so it is a huge boost to your abroad grades which was a very nice boost for my GPA.

My semester abroad in Madrid with IES Abroad was an incredible experience! I lived with an amazing host family who was so welcoming and cooked delicious food. They taught me a lot about Spanish culture and helped me improve my Spanish. The IES Madrid staff was very friendly and supportive. If you ever needed anything, they were always willing to help. I took materials science, machine mechanics, Spanish Art and Architecture, which are the classes I needed for my major and minor. The engineering classes were tough, but it was worthwhile to experience a different educational system. The IES classes I took were some of my favorite classes because the professors I had were so passionate about their teaching that made me enjoyed learning about the material. They also had relevant and engaging class trips and activities. IES also offered many fun trips and cultural activities, like cooking classes and flamenco shows. Madrid was such a vibrant city full of life, and I'm so grateful I was able to call it my home for my semester abroad.

I had the adventure of a lifetime studying in Madrid with IES Abroad. I lived in an apartment with other engineers and a local Spanish student, took classes in materials science and manufacturing systems as well as Spanish Art and Architecture, and enjoyed passing time wandering Madrid and its many parks, shops, restaurants, and plazas. While I traveled to many other countries during my time abroad, Madrid will always hold a special place in my heart thanks to IES Abroad. The staff was helpful and always available to help me feel comfortable and to help Madrid become my new home. My peers and I enjoyed participating in a cooking class, watching a spectacular live flamenco show, taking day trips to nearby cities, and meeting students from all over the United States, Spain, and the world. I am glad I was given the opportunity to take advantage of all that Madrid had to offer, and I encourage others to do the same with IES Madrid!

The staff from IES Abroad made this experience a one to remember! There were plenty of activities for us to be a part of and helped us emerge into the culture easily. My host family was amazing and provided me with delicious meals and pack me lunch whenever I left to travel for the weekend. Classes were great because IES provides you with tutors and other resources. Madrid is a safe city for the most part and has a lot to offer! You never get bored and the people are beyond amazing! All in all it was one of my best semesters in college and I would definitely do it again!

I highly recommend IES Abroad Madrid. I had the best time of my life. The staff was super supportive and friendly. I was in the colegio mayor (dorms) and it was a great fit because I got to be immersed with over 95% of the dorm being Spanish, but I still had the freedom to live on my own. IES put on events and trips to meet the rest of my program and some of the friends I've made will be my friends for life. I already have plans to visit them all of the country. Madrid is a great place to study abroad as well. It's super easy to get around within the city, Spain and the rest of Europe. Madrid has the best metro system I've ever seen and an airport with cheap flights all over. It's not too touristy but there's still so many fun things to do. Without a doubt it feels like home. I cannot recommend this program enough! 10/10.

Flamenco, paella, temperate sun, and a striking sense of fashion; these are a few things that I had anticipated to see when I embarked on my flight from Kuwait City to Madrid. I was equipped with my previous (and ongoing) study abroad experience in the United States, and I was ready to set off on yet another journey in the beautiful country that gave birth to Goya and Velazquez (Spain; in case you haven’t guessed it yet). I was armed with a set of helpful instructions from IES Abroad, which aided me in detail from landing in Madrid Barajas Airport till I got to the hotel. That night, I met the students with whom I would spend the most amazing times, as well as the instructors who would make this experience as enriching and as fruitful as possible. We set off to get tapas (Spanish hors d’oeuvres) with drinks; the first visit of many to come. Later, I had met with the host family that IES had paired me with.
My family consists of Carmen and Àngel. with their daughter Maria. Carmen and Àngel are both retired teachers, while Maria works as a nurse in the local hospital. We lived in Embajadores, a borough of Madrid which is right off Centro (downtown). I spent my first two weeks just exploring Madrid as a part of orientation, with my family and with IES. From visits to the Prado museum to the long strolls through the Royal Gardens, it was truly dreamlike. Toward the end of those two weeks, I was introduced to the University in which I would resume taking my engineering degree requirements; Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (The University of Carlos III of Madrid; or UC3M).
The engineering campus is situated in Leganes, a small city right outside of the City of Madrid, but still within the autonomous community (i.e. “governorate”) of Madrid. It took a daily 20- to 30-minute train ride from Centro to Leganes, but it really flew by every morning considering the beautiful scenic routes that the trains took. My classes had around 30-40 students on average, and the professors were really good. Everyone was bilingual, and the courses were offered in English and Spanish, on demand. Additionally, IES had appointed us with mandatory tutoring, which accounts for 25% of the grade of each course. This really helped adjust the students to the Spanish educational system, especially at the beginning. The Spanish system is a little different from the American one, but it’s not too wildly hard to adjust to. The grades are given on a 1-10 scale. There is hardly any homework, just a lot of lab work and engineering projects. Thus, the midterms hold quite a heavy weight, and so does the final (60%). However, the magical portion of the Spanish system is that you can virtually do nothing throughout the semester, and just take the final to account for your entire grade (a huge risk, but it’s an option for those who previously know the material, and have finished the practical aspects). In Spain, it is not so much about the value of the grade itself, but rather whether or not you passed or failed the class. So you can imagine that the rigor and amount of work expected in Spain tends to be more difficult, when a C is perceived to hold the same weight as an A; roughly speaking.
In addition to my three UC3M courses, I took an intermediate Spanish class at IES, whose campus was situated in Moncloa, in the heart of the City of Madrid. My Spanish instructor, Profesora Buesa, was more than just an instructor. She, as all IES staff, served as a general resource for all the questions and issues that were raised during our time abroad. IES staff were incredibly approachable and helpful, but they did more than just educate us. Every weekend, we had a cultural activity. These activities ranged from meeting up with Spanish peers, going to Flamenco shows (and classes), traveling to other places in Spain (there were so many trips that I lost count), to cooking classes. We truly experienced the beauty and diversity of Spanish culture, and we met some of the most amazing people with whom we made long-lasting friendships.
Overall, I would say that my time in Spain was definitely life-changing (and everyone who studied abroad will tell you same thing, and we’re not exaggerating). Spain is a place that I will be visiting repeatedly throughout my life. My hosts, friends I made, and instructors are people that I will keep in touch with. And to be quite honest, no one does it like IES. The guidance and the supervision are things I’ve lacked when I’ve studied in other countries (and I can say I’ve been to a few). A lot of it was redundant, but it was necessary. With regards to Spain: No es una “adios”, es una “hasta luego.” (It’s not a “goodbye”, it’s a “see you later.”)