My QUT Exchange - Madrid, Spain

Madrid

I chose Madrid as my destination of choice for two main reasons; firstly because I wanted to learn Spanish, and secondly for my love of the culture (I had a Spanish roommate at the time). This made choosing a partner institution relatively easy, as it was the only course offered for Business Administration in Spain. Admittedly I was a little disappointed as I had high hopes of studying on the coast in Barcelona, however it didn’t take much for Madrid to steal my heart and all my doubts about living in Spain’s capital had vanished (even after visiting Barcelona I was pleasantly surprised that Madrid was still the place for me).

First impressions

I arrived to Madrid late August, a little stressed because I had heard the University was 40 minutes outside Madrid and I guess the fact that I was homeless didn’t help either. Thankfully for QUT, I knew a few of the other exchange students from Brisbane and we met up over Chocolate & Churros on my second day to debrief and most importantly, give each other advice!

My first impressions of Madrid were a little daunting at the beginning, mainly because of the rather large language barrier which might I add, was not something I was expecting. My knowledge of Madrid was really quiet minimal in the scheme of things, and I was expecting most people to be able to communicate in English – I was wrong. This language difficulty became something that I grew to appreciate – as it really does push you to learn the language and definitely helped with my Spanish class.

The city from a physical perspective was amazing and it was easy to meet people going through the same struggles. I suggest becoming part of the Facebook group ‘Citylife Madrid’ as they help exchange students set up their new Spanish life; from little things such as setting up phone plans to hosting events and trips all around the country. Madrid has absolutely amazing parks and the most incredible weather to match. The first few weeks included a lot of exploring – Museums and of course the Tapas bars!

Madrid has the most beautiful parks infiltrating the entire city, my favourite being ‘Retiro’ which is absolutely enormous and boasts a good track for roller-skating (surprisingly this is a cool thing to do in Spain). The city is very compact and in close proximity to everything, so for the first few weeks (before I learnt how to use Metro), I was walking everywhere! Unlike many other countries, the cost of the metro was so cheap – unlimited access was only 20euro for the month (about $30) – this also included my 40minute trip out to the Uni!

So the first few weeks included a lot of exploring – Museums and of course the Tapas bars. It was easy to meet people going through the same struggles as we somehow all ended up in the same spots. The Uni did host a lot of get togethers in the first week, which I suggest not to miss if you want to make any friends! I also became part of the Facebook group ‘Citylife Madrid’ which was super helpful as they specialise in helping exchange students set up their new Spanish life; from little things such as setting up phone plans to hosting events and trips all around the country.
Accommodation

Finding accommodation was the same as it is in Australia, horrible. Thanks to a few good website recommendations, and it being the start of a new semester (prime renting time), I actually found an amazing place on my fourth day. I shared an apartment with a QUT girl and 7 international students from Germany, Italy, France, New Zealand, Austria, Scotland and Holland. The apartment was huge, came furnished with absolutely everything and had all the amenities you would expect (Kitchen, lounge, bathrooms). Little did I know at the time but I had found a gem and most importantly, a place to call home for the next 6 months.
Academics

The subjects I studied in Spain were; Consumer Behaviour, Operations Management, Strategic Management, Photography and Spanish. These 5 subjects counted towards 3 units at QUT. It should be noted however that Photography and Spanish were both short courses and didn’t require too much work. The other 3 Business subjects were rather difficult, especially because English wasn’t the first language of many of the Lecturers and it made it a little hard to communicate. I struggled with the facilities at the Uni and getting help with things such as changing class times because nobody understood English. Otherwise, the intensity was pretty low and I think this was due to the fact that all the English classes were aimed at ‘Erasmus and Exchange’ students. The subject, Consumer Behaviour, was a fantastic subject because the Lecturer was so passionate, spoke excellent English and really cared about his students – I would recommend it to anyone wishing to study at Carlos lll.
Challenges

I did experience culture shock and this was mainly due to my inability to speak Spanish. To overcome it, I just practised! I think an important thing to remember is that it is better to try and fail, then to not try at all. My Spanish still isn’t great, but it definitely increased my confidence. I was sick for a good majority of my time in Spain, from the flu to tonsillitis to gastro, I seemed to get it all. I managed to find an English Doctor next to Retiro park however it was expensive and although I was covered by insurance, they were not helpful in communicating with me what I could get back. Luckily for me, my Dad is a Doctor, and for some strange reason he could write me a script and I was able to show them on my phone and get the medication I needed. So tip, see your Doctor before you leave and get the scripts required for emergencies! Madrid is a super safe city – I didn’t experience, or know anyone that got into any kind of trouble. There were a few phones lost at bars but other than that no danger what so ever!
Tips

A must have item on exchange is a smart phone! Without it, I may not of made it home. A good App to download is (Maps.me) – basically you download the map of the country you are in and it uses GPS without needing Wifi to get you around. This was especially useful on my trip to Morocco where Wifi was limited and not getting lost was a top priority. Another tip – do as much travel as you can! Everything is so close in Europe and flights are ridiculously cheap.
Benefits

Exchange has changed me completely, from my personality to my life ambitions. Living in Australia I do think we are unfortunately quiet separated from the world and doing this exchanged has opened my eyes to so many different cultures and languages that I really didn’t know much about. I personally have become a lot more open-minded and I couldn’t recommend it enough! I almost think it should be requirement for students studying any degree!

Taking advantage of the electric bikes – Madrid Autumn leaves in the park – Madrid