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What You Need to Know About Studying Abroad in Madrid

Article and photos by Alexei Koseff

The Palacio Real in Madrid.

Breaking with every college plan I had previously imagined for myself, I decided at the end of my first year that, to get the most out of my college experience, I wanted to study abroad as a sophomore. At Stanford University, we have a remarkable Bing Overseas Study Program has nine foreign campuses, including two in Spanish-speaking countries: one in Santiago, Chile, and the other in Madrid, Spain. Wanting an opportunity to improve my Spanish, which was not getting as much use as I wanted in college, and drawn to the opportunity to live and travel in Europe, I chose to apply to the program at Madrid. Because Stanford is on the quarter system, ten weeks in Spain seemed too short to appreciate the experience, so I ultimately chose to study abroad for my sophomore year's winter and spring quarters. With half of my experience now under my belt, I would like to provide some advice on approaching your own time studying abroad in Madrid.

Getting To Madrid

First, assume you want to study abroad in Europe. In that case, the opportunity is more accessible than you might think because of an agreement between the United States and the Schengen Zone — composed of almost every major European country, including Germany, France, and Italy, but not the United Kingdom — an American citizen can travel in Europe for up to 90 days without a visa. This makes preparation much easier for a short study experience in a country like Spain; hypothetically, you could hop on a plane to Madrid tomorrow for a six-week course in Spanish. For a short study experience in a country like Spain, this makes preparation much easier; hypothetically, you could hop on plane to Madrid tomorrow for a 6-week course in Spanish.

However, don't be lured into a false sense of comfort; a student visa is necessary for anything more than those 90 days (and a more extended stay is always better). It can be a significant hassle to acquire. When I first obtained my student visa, I did not expect to have to jump through so many hoops. Apart from the usual papers and forms I had to fill out (including a letter from my program, proof of international medical coverage, and evidence of my ability to support myself financially while overseas), the Spanish Consulate made me appear in person to process my application, and then again to pick it up. Fortunately for me, the San Francisco consulate was only a 45-minute drive. Regardless, a student living in Washington or Oregon must fly to San Francisco, requiring serious planning. The consulate is only open for a few hours each morning, and visa pick-up is possible only at specific times. I had to set aside most of my day and plan carefully each time I met there.

If I could give one crucial piece of advice about applying for a student visa, it would be to make sure you allocate enough time to get through the entire process before leaving. I decided at the last moment that I wanted to study in Madrid for two quarters, and by the time I got an appointment at the Spanish Consulate, I had just over a month before leaving for Spain. The consulate says processing a visa application can take three to six weeks. Still, they had no interest in helping me get mine as soon as possible. With no way to check on its progress, they recommended I return on the Friday before I left — five business weeks later — and hoped my visa was ready to be picked up. Fortunately, in the end, it was. But my bump up against Spanish bureaucracy (and with the cold treatment and leisurely work ethic, that's precisely what the consulate was) was nerve-wracking and stressful. Next time, I know to start preparing much earlier.

Arrival in Spain: Big Adjustments

You will inevitably experience jet lag and culture shock when you arrive in Spain. Neither of these is optimal to hit the ground running with any academic program. Do yourself a favor, and don't arrive the day you are set to begin. Instead, give yourself at least a few days beforehand to adjust to your new life in Madrid.

Before I began my program, I spent ten days traveling around Spain with my family. During this time, I could finally start to get a sense of the country, even though I had participated in a cultural orientation and completed the required reading for my program. I grew accustomed to many common Spanish customs and rituals, such as saying "vale" and eating dinner at 9:00 at night (which may be the most challenging adjustment of all; I don't know how long it took me) and practicing my Spanish.

After my family returned home, I spent almost a week in Madrid alone before my program began. Every day, I would choose a couple of the top sites to visit and then use them as a starting point to explore other parts of the city. At times, being in that big city alone was hard and lonely, but I covered a lot of ground and stumbled across out-of-the-way sites I might never have seen. I didn't limit myself to traditional tourist sites either; part of my day involved exploring restaurants, stores, and neighborhoods, and then pinpointing which ones I would want to return to later (I found a great movie theater that shows films in versiones originales this way).

So, before my program had even started, I knew my way around much of the central part of Madrid, and I was already beginning to feel comfortable in the city. I probably stuck out like a sore thumb as a tourist to most of the Madrileños. Nevertheless, my perspective had already adjusted to thinking like a local, which is more valuable than anything else in fully adapting to a new place.

The author is at the monument to Alfonso XII in El Parque del Buen Retiro.

Overcoming the Language Barrier

Even if you are going to Madrid to study Spanish exclusively in a language program, it's best to have some competency with the language under your belt already. Though English is a standard second language at Spanish schools, almost everybody seems uncomfortable conversing in English (except for some people in the tourism industry). Come to Spain with the ability to express your most basic ideas or needs in Spanish. It will minimize frustration from the outset.

The best way to get more out of your experience in Madrid is to stay at a homestay. Living with a Madrileño family, instead of fellow foreigners, forces you to practice your Spanish during at least part of the day. By conversing with native speakers, you immerse yourself in a more natural and advanced Spanish, which helps you to improve your vocabulary and grammar (sometimes with corrections on the part of your host family). As a bonus, a homestay lets you know the city and culture more intimately. For example, my host grandmother would almost every day cook incredible authentic Spanish food, such as croquetas or cocido, a delicious and underrated cuisine I had not had much exposure to before. Though the idea can initially seem awkward if you don't treat your stay as a business relationship, neither will they. I ate lunch and dinner with my host family daily; we became very close through long conversations, and they told me a lot about their lives.

My roommate and I are celebrating our host mother's birthday.

And though it may seem like an insurmountable challenge, try speaking only Spanish in Madrid. My program has a Spanish-only rule: we promised not to use English during our stay in Spain. Admittedly, this seemed an impossible task; whether I was staying in contact with my family and the world back at home, using the Internet, or just being alone with my thoughts, I could not avoid some exposure to English throughout the day. But the rule was significant because it encouraged us to ensure we were practicing. As a result, the students in my program had a completely different mindset about how we approached the language, and we almost always spoke to each other in Spanish, which I never noticed about students in other programs. Even if you don't have a Spanish-only rule, set a goal for yourself, and you'll see how much your language skills have improved.

Immerse Yourself in Spanish Culture

While studying abroad in Madrid, taking advantage of the close access to many other European countries may feel irresistible, but make sure you explore Spain. Though everybody has heard of Madrid and Barcelona — which, of course, are full of fascinating monuments and activities — there are so many other places throughout the country that are less known but just as beautiful and interesting places to visit. Getting a real sense of Spain and its history and culture will enrich your experience of studying abroad.

Being in Madrid, Spain's biggest and most central city, provides excellent access to planes, trains, and buses to take you almost anywhere in the country. Take the time to explore places you had only heard of or never knew about: the Moorish architecture in Andalucía, the Roman ruins and national parks of Extremadura, or the university in Salamanca, one of the oldest in the world.

Madrid also allows many easy day trips to the surrounding area. With just a half-hour train ride, you can visit cities such as Toledo, a former capital of Spain; Segovia, which has the alleged inspiration for the castle at Disneyland; and Alacalá de Henares, tthe childhood home of Don Quixote author Miguel de Cervantes. Of course, you set aside a few weekends to explore Madrid's rich history and culture; leaving without visiting El Museo del Prado or El Parque del Buen Retiro would be a crime. 

Visit the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, a landmark in Spain.

Managing Money

Make sure to get a job before you come to Madrid because nothing blows your bank account faster than traveling in Europe. Save as much money as you can, and then be prepared to watch as it steadily dwindles (even traveling on the cheap, the costs for transportation, accommodations, eating, and visiting the sites add up). Accept that this is a necessary part of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and then enjoy yourself as much as possible.

Of course, spending money doesn't mean throwing it away. You can find plenty of ways to save a few bucks if you research. I suggest finding out when places are free to visit and experiencing the nightlife on the cheap. Especially in Madrid, many places offer times when you don't have to pay to enter. Two of Europe's most important art museums — the Prado and the Reina Sofía — are free for the last two hours every day and most of the weekend. Also, by steering clear of bars and discotecas geared towards tourists, you can save yourself the pain of ridiculously high prices. At places frequented by Spaniards (or those in the know), you can usually buy a drink for just a few euros and get a plate of free tapas. Walking the streets, especially on a weeknight, you will inevitably get approached by plenty of people offering you free entrance, and maybe even a free drink, at their bar.

Culture Shock in Spain

Sometimes, the most obvious lessons are the ones that take a while to learn. While studying in Madrid, remember that you are a visitor to a foreign culture and recognize that Spain is not a human museum exhibit but a living, breathing country, just like back home. Remembering that Catholicism is a vital part of the country's history and integral to many people's lives is essential.

One colossal was a result of a misunderstanding at the Monasterio de la Virgen de Guadalupe. On a weekend trip with my program, we visited the monastery, which houses a meaningful icon of the Virgin Mary. After our tour, a priest invited us to climb a tower to the altar and see the statue of the Virgin. Lost in translation was that this is a significant pilgrimage meant for Catholics to come and adore an icon whose discovery is considered a miracle.

To the surprise of the Catholic students in our group, almost all of us went up to see the Virgin, with most of us approaching it like a cultural encounter instead of the significant religious experience it was. Afterward, some even expressed their surprise that we had all chosen to climb the tower. Though they understood that we didn't mean offense, it felt like we were minimizing what was an extraordinary moment for them. Afterward, instead of backing away from exposing myself to Catholic-related tourist sites (which would mean missing half of what Spain has to offer), I have just made sure to educate myself better, especially about appropriate behavior, anytime I visit a place.

The beautiful courtyard at the monastery at Guadalupe.

Alexei Koseff  is a sophomore at Stanford University. He spent his winter and spring quarters studying abroad in Madrid.

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