IES Abroad Madrid

I highly recommend IES Abroad Madrid. I had the best time of my life. The staff was super supportive and friendly. I was in the colegio mayor (dorms) and it was a great fit because I got to be immersed with over 95% of the dorm being Spanish, but I still had the freedom to live on my own. IES put on events and trips to meet the rest of my program and some of the friends I've made will be my friends for life. I already have plans to visit them all of the country. Madrid is a great place to study abroad as well. It's super easy to get around within the city, Spain and the rest of Europe. Madrid has the best metro system I've ever seen and an airport with cheap flights all over. It's not too touristy but there's still so many fun things to do. Without a doubt it feels like home. I cannot recommend this program enough! 10/10.

IES Madrid is a great program that I highly recommend! It is in an incredible location and I loved being in Madrid and getting to know the city. My host mom was incredible and the staff really wants each student to feel comfortable. My classes were challenging and ranged from analyzing Spanish film to going to the Prado museum twice a week to study paintings. I thoroughly enjoyed this program and all of the different academic options as well as the program trips. The staff is incredibly kind and patient and I made some great friends!

IES Madrid is a great program with many different options to personalize your experience. Academically, students are able to challenge themselves as much as they like with the option of enrolling in UCM. UCM courses are a great way to become immersed and learn in a foreign setting.
Also, it is great that there are other opportunities to become involved: including an internship program and being an English Teaching Assistant in a local secondary school. I enjoyed learning about the Spanish education system and helping adolescence learn English through the teaching assistant program.
Overall, this is a great program with a lot of options. Also, Angel and Yolanda do a great job supporting all of the students.

On this date one year ago, I made the best decision of my life: to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. I was filled with anticipation and excitement... I had seen friends' pictures and heard that studying abroad is "an experience of a lifetime" but still didn't know exactly what that meant.
Through IES Abroad, I was pushed to expand my horizons both in the classroom and out. I improved my Spanish, of course, but more importantly I learned about myself. Everyone, from the program directors and the professors, to my host family, and the friends I met along the way greeted me with kindness and made me feel loved. While I was in Madrid, no matter how bad of a day I had had, it was impossible not to smile. In fact, just reflecting on my experience makes me smile.
One year ago I had no idea that I would fall head over heels for the country, the culture, and the people of Madrid. One year ago today I could have never told you that I would feel just as much like I was leaving home when I was departing from the USA as I did on my return flight from Madrid. I am so thankful for all the opportunities I was given through IES Abroad and urge you to apply... who knows, maybe one year from today, you'll feel the same way I do!

Studying abroad this past summer in Madrid was one of the best decisions I have made. At first I was hesitant to apply to this program because I had never been out of the country before. But I knew that this was a step that I needed to take, and I am so happy that I made that decision because it was an amazing six weeks. I was able to achieve so many of the study abroad goals that I set for myself before going. I gained greater confidence in my speaking abilities and was able to immerse myself in the culture. I remember leaving for Madrid the first day. I was excited and a little nervous sitting at the airport, and I had no idea what I was about to experience, and didn’t realize how different I would be when I returned just six weeks later.
The IES program requires that you take two classes: a Spanish language class and an area studies course. I chose to take “Madrid the City.” My language class definitely helped me improve my Spanish, and my teacher was great. The “Madrid the City” class taught me all about the history of the city, and we took tours around the city twice a week, which were a great way to explore.
IES offers homestays or apartments to students for housing. I stayed in a homestay. My Spanish improved so much from my homestay, and it was a great experience. I had lunch with my host mom most days, which allowed me to practice speaking in Spanish. I felt very comfortable with my homestay, and my host mom made it feel like a second home. On the last day, she told me if I return to Madrid in the future, I would have a place to stay.
The IES program includes many different activities and trips that allow you to further explore Spain and its culture. I took advantage of all of these activities, including a cooking class, a flamenco dance class and tours of the Palacio Real, the Prado museum, and various other places. In addition, we all went on a three-day trip to Valencia and a day trip to Segovia. Both trips were amazing.
I definitely recommend this program to other students. It is a great way to learn a new language and experience a new culture. I was nervous at first and almost didn’t do this program. So my advice is for any student unsure about studying abroad with IES Madrid to definitely just go because it will be an unforgettable six weeks.

Before I boarded the plane for my flight to Madrid, I really had no idea what to expect. I had multiple conversations with close friends and my parents leading up to my departure, all who told me to go into the experience with an open mind. Open mind? Sure, I could do that. The plane landed in Madrid, and from that point on, my time in Madrid had begun.

… And how wonderful that time was! I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I lived in a warm and welcoming homestay, enrolled in two classes that were taught by great professors, and got to truly experience Spanish culture. Over the course of the program, I noticed in awe how my Spanish speaking and comprehension skills were improving week by week. On a few of the weekends, I was able to travel to various areas of Spain with friends I had made on the program. We attended a Real Madrid game, saw a bullfight, went on a winery tour, got to explore new cities and see incredible landmarks, among many other things. I also learned how to cook Spanish food and dance flamenco, thanks to classes set up by IES staff. All of my classes, extracurricular activities, and travel excursions made my trip truly meaningful, well-rounded, and rewarding. That is why studying abroad is such an enriching learning experience, because not only are you learning so many new things in the classes you attend, but you also are continually learning by exploring, traveling, and appreciating the aspects of your host country.

At the end of those six weeks, when I left to go back home to the States, I was no longer just leaving Madrid; I was leaving a city that had become my city and had become my home. I look back on those six weeks with such happiness and nostalgia; I made new friendships, saw new places, and made new memories that I will cherish for a long time to come. It truly was the best summer of my life!

Flamenco, paella, temperate sun, and a striking sense of fashion; these are a few things that I had anticipated to see when I embarked on my flight from Kuwait City to Madrid. I was equipped with my previous (and ongoing) study abroad experience in the United States, and I was ready to set off on yet another journey in the beautiful country that gave birth to Goya and Velazquez (Spain; in case you haven’t guessed it yet). I was armed with a set of helpful instructions from IES Abroad, which aided me in detail from landing in Madrid Barajas Airport till I got to the hotel. That night, I met the students with whom I would spend the most amazing times, as well as the instructors who would make this experience as enriching and as fruitful as possible. We set off to get tapas (Spanish hors d’oeuvres) with drinks; the first visit of many to come. Later, I had met with the host family that IES had paired me with.
My family consists of Carmen and Àngel. with their daughter Maria. Carmen and Àngel are both retired teachers, while Maria works as a nurse in the local hospital. We lived in Embajadores, a borough of Madrid which is right off Centro (downtown). I spent my first two weeks just exploring Madrid as a part of orientation, with my family and with IES. From visits to the Prado museum to the long strolls through the Royal Gardens, it was truly dreamlike. Toward the end of those two weeks, I was introduced to the University in which I would resume taking my engineering degree requirements; Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (The University of Carlos III of Madrid; or UC3M).
The engineering campus is situated in Leganes, a small city right outside of the City of Madrid, but still within the autonomous community (i.e. “governorate”) of Madrid. It took a daily 20- to 30-minute train ride from Centro to Leganes, but it really flew by every morning considering the beautiful scenic routes that the trains took. My classes had around 30-40 students on average, and the professors were really good. Everyone was bilingual, and the courses were offered in English and Spanish, on demand. Additionally, IES had appointed us with mandatory tutoring, which accounts for 25% of the grade of each course. This really helped adjust the students to the Spanish educational system, especially at the beginning. The Spanish system is a little different from the American one, but it’s not too wildly hard to adjust to. The grades are given on a 1-10 scale. There is hardly any homework, just a lot of lab work and engineering projects. Thus, the midterms hold quite a heavy weight, and so does the final (60%). However, the magical portion of the Spanish system is that you can virtually do nothing throughout the semester, and just take the final to account for your entire grade (a huge risk, but it’s an option for those who previously know the material, and have finished the practical aspects). In Spain, it is not so much about the value of the grade itself, but rather whether or not you passed or failed the class. So you can imagine that the rigor and amount of work expected in Spain tends to be more difficult, when a C is perceived to hold the same weight as an A; roughly speaking.
In addition to my three UC3M courses, I took an intermediate Spanish class at IES, whose campus was situated in Moncloa, in the heart of the City of Madrid. My Spanish instructor, Profesora Buesa, was more than just an instructor. She, as all IES staff, served as a general resource for all the questions and issues that were raised during our time abroad. IES staff were incredibly approachable and helpful, but they did more than just educate us. Every weekend, we had a cultural activity. These activities ranged from meeting up with Spanish peers, going to Flamenco shows (and classes), traveling to other places in Spain (there were so many trips that I lost count), to cooking classes. We truly experienced the beauty and diversity of Spanish culture, and we met some of the most amazing people with whom we made long-lasting friendships.
Overall, I would say that my time in Spain was definitely life-changing (and everyone who studied abroad will tell you same thing, and we’re not exaggerating). Spain is a place that I will be visiting repeatedly throughout my life. My hosts, friends I made, and instructors are people that I will keep in touch with. And to be quite honest, no one does it like IES. The guidance and the supervision are things I’ve lacked when I’ve studied in other countries (and I can say I’ve been to a few). A lot of it was redundant, but it was necessary. With regards to Spain: No es una “adios”, es una “hasta luego.” (It’s not a “goodbye”, it’s a “see you later.”)

There are three elements that contributed the most to my study abroad experience; the academics, housing, and cultural experience.

Academics: I was really impressed with the classes at IES. They offered a diverse selection and the topics were very interesting. I found the professors engaging and they clearly understood the needs of the students. It was slightly more work than I was expecting but worthwhile in the long run. I wasn't very happy with my UCM class in the end. It was more of a challenge than I anticipated and I didn't have the time or discipline to seek out the resources available. I was hoping it would be a good place to meet local Spanish students but because of the way the classes are structured in Spain it wasn't possible.

Housing: I highly recommend the homestay option. If you are serious about learning the language there is no better way than living with someone. Its a really well organized and thorough system so you will be happy with the experience. The other options require more independence and effort on your part if you want to really immerse yourself in Spanish culture, but they are still great options. I lived in the dorm rooms for a short period of time at the end of the trip and it was a great experience.

Cultural Experience: After my study abroad experience I can officially say that Madrid is one of my favorite cities in the world. There is so much culture there. The nightlife is by far the highlight. And I'm not even referring to the clubbing experience. The restaurants, bars and plazas come alive at night and being a part of that was my favorite aspect of studying abroad. Madrid is also an extremely convenient city if you're looking to travel a lot while studying abroad. There are many easy ways to get to the airport and the flights are relatively cheap.

I cannot say enough good things about this program. It made my semester abroad the great experience that it was!