Spain : Reviews (Madrid)
The following program review responses have been selected for publication by Study Abroad & Global Engagement
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Drake Hamilton,
Fall 2015 Participant
The city of Madrid and being in Spain was my favorite part. Spain has so much to offer and every town is unique in it's own way and has so much life and energy. Madrid is a great place to study abroad as it is cheaper compared to most large cities but has everything a large city can offer. The people in Madrid and in Spain are very friendly and always seemed willing to help and be patient with my broken Spanish.
Roon C Johnson,
Fall 2016 Participant
My favorite aspect of studying abroad was getting to live and socialize with people from all around the world. I was so happy to have gone to Madrid, It is such a vast and passionate city. Spain also has the best soccer to watch in the world. I was so happy to watch my favorite team, Real Madrid, play on a regular basis. I went to several matches and it was amazing. Hala Madrid!
Patrick Joseph Shreve,
Spring 2018 Participant
My favorite part of this program was the way in which Comillas connected all of the study abroad students. From the first orientation and throughout the year, they offered opportunities for foreign students to get to know the city, take trips together, and go to language exchanges in which students from around the city gather and learn languages from eachother in local bars.
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.
Jack Andrew Westbrook,
Spring 2019 Participant
The experience. Having been to Spain before, it was fantastic to emerge myself in the culture for such an extended period of time. Getting to know and live with people from so any different countries and backgrounds was eye opening and made me want to stay for as long as I could.
Fall 2022 Participant
I really loved the school and my great professors who were native to Spain.
Fall 2022 Participant
My favorite part of studying abroad was experiencing Spanish culture. I loved living in Madrid and exploring the different neighborhoods and trying different restaurants.
Spring 2022 Participant
My favorite part of this program was living with a host family. They were wonderful people and they taught me a lot about Spain.
Fall 2023 Participant
My favorite part was being able to meet so many people from all over the world who were also in my program! Madrid is the place to be for nightlife and exploring the culture. It was definitely the best time and I highly recommend!
Fall 2023 Participant
My favorite thing had to be meeting new people all around the world and becoming friends with new people. Also playing on the school handball team!
Spring 2023 Participant
My favorite part was being immersed in the culture of Madrid and getting involved through bachata classes, language exchanges, and weekly volleyball games with locals.
Spring 2024 Participant
I loved being able to immerse myself in a completely separate culture and meet incredible people.
Drake Hamilton,
Fall 2015 Participant
Being able to live in Madrid, practice my Spanish and experience the culture was the most rewarding experience for me. Also being able to travel and meet so many new people was incredible.
Roon C Johnson,
Fall 2016 Participant
Traveling. I was so empowered by my ability to navigate large European cities with no troubles. I feel as though my traveling helped me grow immensely as a person.
Fall 2018 Participant
I found connecting with students from Germany, The Netherlands, The U.K., Turkey, France, Australia and of course Spain really rewarding and comforting knowing we're all students with similar interests and goals as well as struggles.
Fall 2019 Participant
One aspect of this program I found most rewarding was the opportunity to travel to other parts of Spain on the weekends. Flights to many parts of Europe from Madrid are very affordable, and I think it's very beneficial for students to take advantage of this. Additionally, there are many local tourist companies that host different organized excursions every weekend. There are pros and cons for both individual and organized trips, but these organized trips are a perfect way to meet people from other schools and visit places you want to see for one price.
Spring 2020 Participant
The most rewarding part of the program was the cultural experience. Staying with a host family was a great part of that experience. I was able to practice my Spanish, and discuss different views and ideas with them. Another part of the cultural experience I gained was from exploring the city; going to muesems, parks, clubs and bars, or just walking down the streets. I was also able to explore some smaller historic cities close to the Madrid area. It was very rewarding to me to learn about the history, language, and culture of a new place.
Fall 2022 Participant
I found the program to be very rewarding as it provided me an opportunity to immerse myself in culture and feel that I was truly learning on my own.
Fall 2022 Participant
I found the experience of living on my own in a new place very rewarding. I grew a lot personally while abroad and enjoyed the European view on work-life balance.
Spring 2022 Participant
Traveling alone was very rewarding. I learned so much about myself while outside my comfort zone.
Fall 2023 Participant
I loved traveling, I feel like I got the most out of my abroad experience. And now I have friends from all over the world that I am close with because of my experience.
Spring 2023 Participant
The most rewarding thing was taking advantage of the opportunities to travel Spain, as well as a lot of Europe. Madrid is right in the middle of Spain, which made getting around very easy. This travel greatly expanded my cultural and historical knowledge.
Spring 2024 Participant
Some of the most rewarding parts were being able to have conversations with native Spanish speakers and being encouraged to keep practicing with them.
Summer - One Month 2017 Participant
Take the initiative to take what you learn in each class and apply it to what suits you. Abroad you have many opportunities to learn about culture, history, and language. Take those chances to take what you learn in the classroom and apply it in real life. Whether that be traveling to a city your teacher recommended, practicing your foreign language skills in day to day life, or diving into the culture and history of your host country; take the opportunity before you are abroad and during your time abroad to think about what you hope to get out of this experience, and how you hope to live that experience out.
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.
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.
Fall 2022 Participant
I learned how to travel and plan. I learned about so many other perspectives and beliefs that I was blind to in the past.
Fall 2022 Participant
I learned that it is important to know your goals while studying abroad. Everyone is on a different journey, and while your mindset can change while abroad, you should put your effort into what you want to get out of your experience. I wanted to really get to know what it was like living in a European city, and while I also traveled when I had time, I prioritized this because I knew it was one of my goals going into the program.
Fall 2023 Participant
Don't expect it to be the same education as KU. You will need to be okay and comfortable with change and things that are unknown. But once you embrace unfamiliarity, everything is amazing!
Spring 2023 Participant
Through this program, I learned self-sufficiency by living independently, organizing travel, and encountering language barriers.
Spring 2024 Participant
I learned to be more go with the flow and to have an open mind ALWAYS. I learned that trying new things ends up being really rewarding and that a lot of my perspectives were changed in a lot of ways i would not have expected.