IES Abroad Madrid Summer - Language & Cultural Studies

This past summer, I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain. The program was 6 weeks long, and I took two classes that were three credits each. I cannot exaggerate enough how this experience formed my best summer to date. My biggest fear was not knowing what to do when I arrived, but IES had provided a detailed packet about what to do pre-departure and post-departure, and no one had an issue. The two classes included a culture class and a language class - students got to choose their own culture class, and there were a couple of placement tests for the language course. The work was not too hard as long as a genuine effort was put in. My program was about 30 people and not one person complained about their homestay - IES had us complete surveys and performed check ups on our home-stays in order to make sure everything was in check and safe. People also had the option to be put in student apartments which were spacious and clean. The IES program leaders had several integrated trips over the weekends to towns like Valencia, as well as one day trips to Segovia. For the rest of the weekends, students were free to travel anywhere they desired. People in my program went everywhere from Morocco to Dublin to Rome! It was one of the best experiences of my life, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested!

During the Summer of 2018 I spent 6 incredible weeks in Madrid with the IES Abroad Madrid Summer Program. When I say incredible I don’t mean I was surfing waves or riding horses the entire time, but that there were no dull moments. I got to go out clubbing with other IES students I had just met, and I also went to visit museums with them. I got to take strolls across Madrid as well as visit more museums alone! Being in Madrid for 6 weeks was not just a matter of getting to know and understand a city & culture better, better it was also about getting to know myself better. Being immersed in a new culture with new people, a new language and even new parents does that to you – and IES was incredible at fostering a healthy balance between getting to discover who I was on my own as well as in a group setting. IES Abroad organised a lot of group trips, some compulsory, some optional, which were all culturally and personally enriching. I got to meet people I am certain I would have never met elsewhere in my life, and I got to see how our vast and different stories could all fit like a puzzle! Being abroad for 6 weeks was an experience unlike any other I had ever had, and I smile when I think back at all the loud and silent moments I had while in Madrid.

Studying abroad is always referred to as the greatest experience of one’s life. For me, my six weeks in Madrid were 42 days of cafes, conversations, friends, and discoveries that collectively created the greatest experience of my life. My host family was incredible and exposed me to so many little differences between Spain and the US that I would have never learned. The classes taught me so much because they were taught in a way that was fun and interactive (I highly recommend Madrid the City). In addition, my weekends were filled with trips to London, Tenerife, Morocco, Sevilla, Toledo, and Valencia, and the day trips arranged by IES were so convenient and exposed us to places we would’ve never seen on our own. Overall, the program was so hospitable and always made sure we had everything we needed. I loved my time in Spain and I highly recommend IES Madrid Summer to anyone looking to go to Spain for less than a whole semester and who wants to learn and experience the true language and culture of the city.