It’s January 9, 2025 and I cannot believe I’ll be studying abroad in Madrid, Spain in less than a week! But before I start thinking about what I can and can’t fit into my suitcase, let’s figure out how I got to this point: why Madrid and why IES?
Choosing Madrid was fairly simple because the language and big-city feel were exactly what I was looking for. Growing up in Los Angeles, I’ve always been surrounded by Spanish speakers. Over the years I’ve built up my Spanish skills, starting as early as kindergarten and continuing now at Connecticut College where I’m considering a minor in Hispanic Studies. Madrid, however, presents a totally different, exciting opportunity to test and grow my language skills. The challenge of learning to communicate, word by word, every day, and seeing myself grow in those communication skills is going to be so fun and rewarding for me. In Madrid, I’ll be able to truly expand my language skills in an immersive environment not far from where Castilian Spanish was born. I can only imagine how much I will grow as a Spanish speaker in the next six months, and I thoroughly look forward to challenging myself on a daily basis.
The other big piece of the equation was the big-city element. I left Los Angeles to attend a more rural college, an experience which I have loved and one which has taught me so many invaluable things. Now, I get to see what it’s like to go to college in a big city! The thought of commuting to class every day on the metro, finding new stores and restaurants every day, and living around the bustling streets of Madrid seemed unbeatable to me. I’m also curious to see how students live in the big city. As I’ll be taking a class at a host institution with Madrid residents, I’m hoping to make new friends that can show me how they live their lives as full-time students in the city. For example, how do they spend their weekends? What side of town do students like to hang out in? And how are you treated as a student in Spanish society? These are among the endless questions and curiosities I have about life as a student in the city.
Aside from life as a student, I was also drawn by the sports scene in Madrid. If I’m unable to score some cheap seats to a Real Madrid match, I’ll be just as excited to see how the city supports their club on matchday. Real Madrid also has one of the best basketball teams in all of Europe, so I’m super excited to watch a EuroLeague game and compare it to American basketball. The climate is also going to be great. While I’ve enjoyed the snowy winters of the Northeast at school, part of me misses the Southern California sunshine. In Madrid winters will be chilly but it’ll warm back up much faster, offering a sun-filled spring and all the outdoor activities that come with it. Maybe I’ll take an April surf-trip to Portugal or Valencia—the options are endless! That brings me to my final reason for choosing Madrid: the convenience of travel. I’ve yet to explore Europe and I know I’ll have plenty of places on my bucket list. Being in a capital city, aside from all the perks I’ve already mentioned, will make flying to other parts of Europe both cheaper and easier. With all these reasons to go, I’m so excited to begin my journey with IES Madrid.
But why IES Abroad? There are a number of reasons why IES Abroad was my clear choice for study abroad, but the most important one was how easy they made the application process. Getting ready to go abroad can be stressful. There's a lot of paperwork, lots of deadlines, and lots of uncertainty that comes with preparing to live in a foreign country. By guiding me every step of the way, however, IES Abroad has made this process as easy as can be. My program directors have been exceptional at notifying me in advance of every deadline: visas, pre-registration, housing, and more.
Coincidentally, IES Abroad has also made the three deadlines I mentioned so easy and convenient for me. With their batch visa program, IES Abroad gave me clear instructions on how to send all my visa documentation to their offices. They take it away from there. There’s no need to worry about visa appointments and the travel complications they bring with them, because IES submits and certifies all visa applications for you. Then, they send your updated passport back to you with essentially everything done for you. The course pre-registration process is also super easy and convenient: IES Abroad posts their extended list of courses, host institution courses, and registration instructions well in advance, giving you the time to coordinate what classes you should register for in order to complete your major requirements.
Housing is more of the same: with IES Abroad you can choose to do homestay, apartment-style, or dorm-style living, and there are multiple locations to choose from within each housing option. IES Abroad makes preparing for study abroad easy, efficient, and clear. By offering a wealth of resources to make sure I was ready for Madrid, they earned my trust and I’m more than excited to join their program in Madrid.
Andrew Jordan
I love the outdoors: hiking and surfing are a few ways I seek out nature and challenge myself. I'm also an avid sports fan and run the club basketball team at my school. When I'm not outside or hooping, I'm probably writing or listening to Radiohead.
