Why I chose Madrid:
I wanted to go to a Spanish speaking country to work on my language acquisition. I was set on Europe, so Spain was the perfect country for me. I chose Madrid more specifically because I wanted a big city feel and a metropolitan area.

What were the benefits of choosing an IU administered program?
It honestly did not feel like it was the IU community abroad with me. We had students from other Universities, and it felt as though we had formed a new community, I was able to make friends from other universities. There were a lot of benefits for going on an IU administered program; for example, it was significantly easier to select courses because many previous students had taken them. Additionally, it was like receiving and IU transcript, any course I took transferred directly back.

Favorite part about studying abroad?
I think my favorite part about studying abroad was experiencing the cultural differences. You see them in all aspects of life abroad and become accustomed to them while you are there. For example, Spaniards take things at a much slower pace. Whether it is work or literally physically walking, they take time they need to enjoy the day. I also just enjoyed exploring different parts or Madrid, Spain, and Europe in general.

What classes I took:
I took classes towards my Spanish linguistics major. I took Philosophy and literature, anthropology, Velazquez, master works from the Prado, and Spanish phonetics. Some of these were just elective credits, but they all contributed to my degree progress.

Advice for someone looking to study abroad with this program:
Keep an open mind. You will be faced with a lot of challenges being submerged in a new culture and language. It is important to keep an open mind to try and understand and learn about the culture and language and try to immerse yourself fully into the experience. This will make the transition significantly easier for you.