IES Abroad Madrid – Language & Area Studies

I really enjoyed my time abroad in Madrid with IES! During my semester I was able to experience a new culture and immerse myself in the language. I really enjoyed that IES organized a lot of activities with local students so we could meet Spaniards and learn about what life is like in the city for them. All of the field trips were super cool and I learned a ton about the country while also getting to see beautiful places I wouldn't have gone otherwise. I lived in a dorm and although the dining hall wasn't the best, I had my own room and own bathroom that got cleaned twice a week, plus free laundry service, and it was in a super convenient location (all of my classes were in the same building). I would definitely recommend this program if you're looking to experience life in a big city and immerse yourself in the Spanish culture!

I had a wonderful time and learning experience this past summer studying in Madrid with IES Abroad! I took a course on the History of Madrid as well as one discussing women writers from Spain and Latin America, and I was pleasantly surprised by the extent to which I enjoyed the content and professors alike. In addition to mini "field trips" to notable museums or locations in the city via my history class, the larger program offered day trip excursions and events in the community, such as attending a Flamenco show, learning how to make paella and torte de Santiago, and regular meetings with Spanish students for conversation and fun. I experienced a great balance of coursework/guided activities and time to explore Madrid on my own. I got to tour castles, swim in the mountains, and learn a Spanish card game. I also got to shop local markets, see outdoor concerts, and even play pickup soccer in the park. I'm grateful for my time studying abroad...and I look forward to an opportunity to go back!

I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain in the semester of Spring 2022. It was quite literally one of the best periods of my life so far, both personally and also academically! I made some incredible friends, got to learn about a new culture, practice and improve my Spanish skills enormously during my time there. Madrid itself is also an incredibly city to live and study in. It's full of culture, life and things to do. It also has amazing transportation systems, healthcare and the people are super friendly and welcoming too. The IES staff were also so incredibly helpful during my time abroad. They were there to help with any issues I had, which was greatly appreciated. The classes were also fun and interesting, even though they were pretty different in comparison to how US classes work. My housing was great too, I had my own dorm with plenty of space and an en-suite bathroom. It was a 3 min walk away from my classes and a 10-15 min walk from the metro station, shops, etc. I couldn't have lived in a more central location. Overall, I would recommend this program to ANYONE interested in studying abroad, even if you feel your language skills are not that strong - this is a great chance to improve them whilst having fun doing it! It truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you should do it.

From the moment I stepped off the airplane to the moment I boarded, I felt the support of the IES staff. It was a peculiar time when I was abroad; Spain had just begun to experience a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases before we were asked to repatriate. Nevertheless, the short time that I was in Madrid was a special and memorable one. I was placed with a warm and caring host-family that taught me a lot about the Spanish culture and with whom I built a relationship. Classes were from Monday to Thursday, so I always felt as if I had enough time to explore the city and its surroundings. IES often organized activities and trips to expose students to more aspects of the Spanish culture. For example, IES organized a weekend trip to Extremadura; a place where we were able to learn about history, food, and the regional culture. All in all, it was a culture enriching experience—even if it was for a short amount of time.

Unfortunately, I think this program has the potential to be really great for a lot of people, but it has a long way to go before truly serving all of its students! I am currently participating in the IES Madrid program and I am writing this to warn anyone who might need special accommodations or has extenuating circumstances: it will be very difficult for you to get help here at the local office and through the headquarters in Chicago. If you have any special needs, learning disabilities, and/or financial situation that may require assistance in terms of your academics, the staff IS NOT equipped to handle these situations and will not make any exceptions for students. There also is an unreasonable amount of bureaucracy in the offices that makes it very hard to get ahold of staff in time to receive the assistance you need. If you are going to spend a lot of money on a study abroad program, I highly recommend looking into other institutions/programs that are willing to work with and accommodate your special needs. As a first generation student, a student with a learning disability, and a student with anxiety/depression, I have had many issues getting the academic help I need to succeed during my semester abroad here in Spain. Though I do not want to deter any students who might be in similar situations from studying abroad, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND finding another program that is more able to work with students suffering from mental illnesses, learning disabilities, and extenuating circumstances as a first generation, low income family. The Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA), for example, was very accommodating and helpful with my particular needs and did everything in their power to help me succeed over the semester!

I had a great time in Madrid with IES Abroad. This program was perfect for me because my focus of my abroad semester was immersing myself in a different language and a new culture. IES paired me with an amazing host family, who I am still in contact with. Additionally, they did a great job making sure that I continued studying hard but also exploring the city and country that I was in. Additionally, the group of students studying under IES was big enough that I felt as though I could meet many people like me, but not too large to the point where I didn't know everyone.

Before I went abroad to Madrid, Spain, I had many reservations about what my experience would be. With only traveling out of the United States two times beforehand, I thought that living in Europe for an extended period of time was always going to be challenging. I was afraid that not only I would react poorly to my new surroundings but also I would not enjoy being away from home for so long. However, as I adjusted to life in Madrid I found that the reservations that I had were simply doubts. Throughout my time abroad, I was able to become immersed in the city’s culture by eating at various restaurants, visiting many important monuments and public sites, and learning about the historical significance of Spain in my program’s classes. Most importantly, I met a wide variety of people who were kind, generous, sympathetic, and open. Through study abroad, I was amazed by how I became more aware of the world around me as I was able to make life long friends and have many memorable experiences. I am incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to have studied abroad in such a beautiful, dynamic, and encapsulating country.

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The IES Abroad Madrid program was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not only was the city of Madrid clean, entertaining, and my favorite city I've been to, but the citizens were some of the friendliest I encountered during my entire stay in Europe and most of my experiences in the USA as well. The program allowed us to mingle with local Spanish students while exploring various monuments and points of interest around the city. Also, my host family made the transition to life in Spain very smooth. While they didn't speak English, the ability to practice Spanish and learn the culture in more of an informal setting was very beneficial in the long run. The first couple weeks were a little challenging, but it was extremely worthwhile in the end. Overall, I did not have many complaints about the program. One of the few was the transition to having attendance policies for classes, which is very unlike most universities here in the states, but I understand the reasoning behind it and it forced us to focus on class, but the workload outside of class wasn't overbearing and allowed us to explore and enjoy my time in Madrid.

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I spent this past semester studying abroad in Madrid, Spain with IES Abroad. The program I was a part of was affiliated with the local university, therefore, my classes were taught by local Spanish professors on a variety of different topics all in the Spanish language. My classes centralized on concepts of history, feminism through international female writers, theatre and art history. During the week my time was spent in and out of the classroom, one class specifically taking weekly field trips to the Museo del Prado, I spent my time learning in and utilizing my Spanish. In my free time, I lived with a host family, explored the city of Madrid, took a flamenco dance class and learned how to prepare authentic Spanish food. A large contributing factor that made my semester in Madrid feel so special was the people I shared it with. With the common interest of Spanish, I found myself surrounded by peers with similar interests and goals, as well as those I could learn from and grow with. With no wiggle room to take the easy way out, finding myself in a home-stay where the only language universally understood was Spanish, I recognized an immediate hurdle. Although I had prepared myself to face this obstacle, throughout the first few weeks I was nervous that my own language skills wouldn’t be able to match my own personality. However, I surprised myself by being able to meet this challenge and exceed it. Although I cringe when saying it, my semester abroad was a life-changing experience. I interacted with a new culture, language and community on a daily basis and was able to learn a lot about myself in the process. This experience studying abroad in Madrid allowed me to grow my confidence and practice my independence.

I was very apprehensive when I first arrived in Spain, but once I arrived the IES staff was very helpful and made the transition process much easier. In addition, my host family was extremely patient with my speaking abilities, and they gave me tips about the life in Spain. I made some of my best friends from other schools that I would otherwise not have met. This experience has opened up my mind as I am eager to continue traveling and meeting new people.

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IES Abroad is such an amazing program! The whole process from start to end was smooth and easy. They were very good at communicating details that were needed and made sure that we had all the proper resources before departure, during our stay, and upon arrival back in the USA. The program itself was amazing. I improved my Spanish while learning so much about the culture and history. The entire faculty was amazing and supportive while I was there. We went on various field trips as a program, and there were also so many other opportunities to get involved outside of the classroom. There were cooking classes, free tours, flamenco classes, and many other exciting events that we were able to sign-up for! I would highly recommend this program if you want to improve your Spanish, while being surrounded by the Spanish culture. There is no better place to study than the capital of Spain, the adventures are endless!

Being abroad completely changed my outlook of how I was living my daily life because it took me out of my comfort zone. I know that sounds cliche, but being able to have the opportunity to travel at a young age, meet new people, taste the flavors of new countries and be independent was incredibly transformative. I got to be reflective every day due to the fact that I had to depend on only speaking Spanish to communicate, bought myself food for each week, organized my studying, and lived with a stranger. Overall, it was a blessing, and nothing can compare to it!

I recently studied abroad in Madrid, Spain through IES Abroad, and the most wonderful, culturally-immersive experience of my life! In my program, I chose to live in a colegio mayor, or a Spanish dorm, which allowed me to not only meet students from all over Spain, but also from the all over the world! I met friends from Panama, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Czech Republic and more! I truly believe that living inside of the dorm was the best option that I possibly could have made, as it allowed me to learn about other cultures and gain insight as to how other people live. I loved that I was challenged academically in my program, as all of my courses were taught in Spanish, which allowed me grow and improve my Spanish-speaking competencies. The IES study center also put on so many different cultural events and activities for the students to further get immersed into the culture and local community: I did a month long Flamenco workshop, I went to a Flamenco Show, I learned how to make classic Spanish dishes at a cooking lesson, and so much more! I loved the location of the study center, in the heart of Madrid, and absolutely loved adapting into society as an honorary member of the city; eating tapas, taking the metro (and mastering it), and going to parks and museums in my free time. Madrid was my home for 3.5 months, and it was the best abroad experience I could have ever imagined!

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After one semester in Madrid, it'll feel like you have another hometown. Between cultural exchanges with local students, living with host families or native compañeros, and class options designed to immerse you in the culture, studying abroad with IES will lead you on an unforgettable adventure through this amazing capital city. I had opportunities to take unique courses such as History of Madrid and an art class taught in the Prado that were incredibly valuable for understanding the city that I called home for a semester. The staff at IES was always eager and available to help improve my experience in any way possible, my host mom assured I never went hungry (and I mean *never*), and I met a lifelong group of friends in the process. Take advantage of all that IES has to offer, and don't miss out on the excursions. Incredible guides joined us on trips to various locations in Spain, and we gained an appreciation for the diverse offerings of the country. And as one IES adviser pointed out when we tried to say that we were from the US: "sois madrileños", we'd been living in Madrid long enough to claim it as part of our new identity.

Through my cultural Spanish class that all students in the program are required to take, and you test into a specific level, I was able to learn so much about Spanish lifestyle and the do's and don'ts.Then, I would spend my afternoons (I never had class after lunch) wandering the city and putting what I learned in class to good use. It is the perfect program to completely immerse yourself in the Spanish language. I developed my conversational Spanish so much with my host family, and I learned a lot more of the differences between Latin American and Spain Spanish. It was an amazing experience.

Studying in Madrid through IES was the best 4 months of my life. IES provides students with many options in all areas: hospitality, academics, and culture. The semester was riddled with explorative group trips that really allowed me to become close with my peers, and learn about the lesser known parts of the country. The academics were intensive enough to allow me to improve and practice my Spanish; however, they were not unnecessarily rigorous. IES really established a system where I felt that I was able to fully immerse myself to the Madrid lifestyle as much as I wanted. I met my current best friends, I meandered around Europe, and I fell in love with all things Spanish. I am hit with a wave of nostalgia every day that I am not able to sip on a cafe con leche paired with the ever so consistently delicious tortilla española. IES Madrid does it right.

For anyone even slightly considering studying abroad, DO IT! Do not miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity. And for those considering studying abroad in the IES Madrid Program, I HIGHLY recommend it! I have never been surrounded by so many eager and supportive staff members. The IES Madrid staff is determined to provide you with a safe, enjoyable, and learning filled experience. There are also many interesting classes which teach you about the culture of Madrid and Spain as a whole while enhancing your Spanish skills. IES Madrid takes you on field trips throughout your time abroad that are very informative and a great way to get to know all of the other students and staff in the program. I have nothing negative to say about my experience studying abroad through IES Madrid.

While enrolled in this program I enjoyed my abroad experience a lot. I enjoyed this program specifically because it allowed me to get a feel for what it feels like to truly live in Spain because the program supervision was not overbearing, but there were enough activities that allowed me to feel a great sense of community. My only critique for the program was that students were rarely allowed to live outside of IES housing, which (in my opinion) did not provide the best option for cultural immersion. Overall, this is a great program for students to have low-academic rigor in order to fully enjoy their abroad experience.

IES Abroad Madrid was AMAZING! I learned so much while I was in Madrid and wouldn't trade that experience for anything. Because Madrid is so centralized, I was able to travel to a plethora of cities within Spain and experience other countries outside of Spain as well. There is a wide variety of classes offered and lots of activities to participate in with the university. Plus, my homestay experience was incredible - I still talk to my host mom a couple of times each month!

This program was the best 4 months of my life. The staff at IES was incredibly helpful and hands on in every capacity. From academics, to travel and safety, they had amazing resources and advice that was genuinely helpful. The courses were relatively easy (language barrier was an issue at times) but the professors are helpful and want you to do well. Madrid is an incredible city that is filled with beautiful parks, wonderful museums and amazing food. You will never be bored while you are here.