Fall 2019 Participant
I learned that although travelling is an incredibly rewarding experience, staying in Madrid on the weekends is also a great idea. There is an unlimited amount of neighborhoods to explore, museums to visit, and places to eat in Madrid and the smaller towns that surround it. I stayed in Madrid for about half of my weekends abroad, and doing this helped me become more familiar with the city and eventually led to me falling in love it.
Fall 2019 Participant
My favorite part of the program was its location. Madrid is an incredibly exciting and diverse city. You are guaranteed to see people from all over the world, hear many different languages, and find just about every type of food just by walking through the streets. Madrid has an amazing nightlife, so there are always things to do and opportunities to meet new people.
Spring 2020 Participant
Study abroad is affordable! That being said, it is definitely expensive but, by saving up money, applying for scholarships, and thinking how I spent money, I was able to have a great time and stay within my budget, even with an extra plane ticket home. There are many places that offer free or discounted experiences for students. Do your research and plan for anything that might happen. It doesn't hurt to overpack. The metro card was my wisest purchase while in Madrid. Talk to anyone and everyone if you are trying to practice your Spanish, most people are nice there. Be careful, stick with a friend or group of friends if traveling or going out at night. Though tempting, don't spend all your money on alcohol, there are many wonderful things to do in Madrid besides that. Save up and plan for at least one big trip to another country or another part of Spain.